One Piece: Monster of the Straw Hat Pirates
by KP360
Summary: In the Grand Line there is a 4th kind of Zoan Devil Fruit: the Kaiju-Zoan. Granting the eater the powers of creatures of great power, they can also bring about terrible destruction. One man will use the beast inside of him to help a certain strawhat captain accomplish his dream, and maybe find something for himself. OCXRobin later on in the story. More OCs as the story progresses.
1. Pain of the gifted

**Well ladies, gentleman and all others, it's finally here, my One Piece fanfiction mixed with elements from the Godzilla movies! Gian is the OC I made just for this and I have been waiting so long to write this and only now is beginning to put it in effect! So buckle up and enjoy the ride! *goddamn that was clichéd…**

 **A/N: One Piece and Godzilla are owned by Eiichiro Oda and Toho Co. LTD respectively; KP360 holds no ownership save for any OCs and original powrs.**

The boy slowly opened his eyes as he heard noise closing in on his chamber. This place was his home, the only place he knows of. As of right now he's unclear to whether it is even night or day. The boy tried to weakly move away from the approaching sounds, but found that it was far too exhausting. Not that he was surprised; as long as he remained in this room, movement was always a daunting task for him.

The door to his room opened and two guards wearing hazmat suits entered. The boy managed to muster the most intimidating glare he could in his current state. The two staff members paid no attention as they unchained the boy from his restraints, only to slap on a pair of handcuffs. Then they led him out of the small room.

The boy was slightly blinded by the sudden increase of light assaulting his eyes. Out here in the light, people could see that he was a boy of about 15 years old, decent height, matted black hair, large eyes with yellow sclera and pale skin. His build learned towards the skinnier side with his tattered striped prisoner uniform barely hanging onto his body, but that didn't come as a surprise considering where he is. If not for the terrible conditions he's been through, one could say that he could be a bit good looking.

As the guards led him down the corridor, a growing sense of dread was developing within the boy; he was all too familiar with this procedure. Whenever he was not locked in his cell, people would take him to another place, one that foretold pain and torture. The boy goes through this hell at least once a week, and today it has come again. Another door opened and the boy's fear was confirmed as his eyes fell on the leather chair that by now he knew more than his own parents. He weakly struggled in the grip of the guards, but as usual to no avail.

The guards then forced the boy into the chair, using multiple straps to tie his body down. They then undid the handcuffs and strapped his arms as well. The boy's eyes shone with fear as a third figure joined the guards. This man was wearing a white coat with the words "GAS" on either side of it. His face was covered in make up along with what appears to be 2 horns on top of his head, sticking over his spikey hair. As he moved, what seemed to be wisps of smoke was streaming from his body. The man's face was adorned with a wide grin, one that promised only pain and suffering. In his hand there was a syringe which made the boy shake with fear as he saw it; it was something that had been used on him time and time again. The man then plunged the syringe into the boy's arm and injected some kind of gel into him. The second he did, the boy's body seized up, and his body convulsed as it was subjected to the most unimaginable pain he's ever experienced.

As the boy thrashed and screamed in the chair, the man in the white coat looked on with sadistic delight. For this man was not any normal person; he is one of the head scientists in this facility. His name is Caesar Clown, and his current test subject had been one that gave him such insight to the properties of H2S. Caesar began jotting down notes as he noticed the boy's skin begin to rend his tissue, only for his body to heal up the next as the process repeated itself in endless agony.

"Shulolololo, you truly are remarkable!" the sadistic scientist cackled "The Goji-Goji no Mi's regenerative properties are fantastic as ever! Being able to regenerate all the damage caused by H2S makes you very valuable to my tests. I hope you are honored by this opportunity, Prisoner 1954!" Yes, Caesar had been doing these tests for quite some time now; something that he is normally unable to do so with any other prisoner on Punk Hazard. "The injection of H2S into the blood stream would normally kill a person within seconds, yet thanks to that devil fruit of yours you are able to heal the damage done just as quickly!" Caesar continued to write his observations down, oblivious to the boy's agonized screams. Being the eater of the Goji-Goji no Mi, one of the rare Kaiju class Zoan fruits, have granted this child phenomenal healing power and he was planning to exploit every aspect of it for his research.

After many agonizing minutes, the boy's screams finally died down as he broke down into a fit of sobs. Caesar finished writing and watched him with a triumphant smirk. "It seems we are done today, take the subject back to his chambers, we will continue these tests in a few days."

As the boy was dragged from the floor, prisoner 1954 could feel his vision began to deteriorate. Many times he wishes he could just end himself somehow, so that he no longer has to live through this torture. But it was not to be, every test they do to him where he expect to die by the agonizing pain was quickly dismissed by it ending. This was his curse, his ability to heal himself from any external and internal damage. As the boy's vision faded to black, he cursed the mad scientist, this facility, and his fate; something he does all too many times these days.

Prisoner 1954 woke up to the sound of shouting outside his chamber, and fear began to creep into his heart once again. It must be Caesar coming to use him for another of his sadistic experiments again. As much as he wishes to retaliate he never could, he was a prisoner here, and he had no existence. The boy closed his eyes, not wishing to see what awaited him.

The door never opened.

Prisoner 1954 waited a few more seconds for the door to open, but still it remained shut. He cracked open an eyelid and peeked at it. The door still did not open.

By now he could barely make out the increasing volume of two men arguing. One person he recognized as Caesar " _I'd remember that bastard's voice from anywhere…"_ he thought bitterly. The other person however was foreign to him, he couldn't place it at all.

The two voices continued to increase, from what he's hearing prisoner 1954 detected obvious outrage from either side. Caesar's voice seemed rather despondent, while the other seemed laced with disgust and horror. Then one voice, Caesars, said something loudly and disappeared.

" _What was that all about?"_ The boy wondered, then figured that it doesn't concern him. It never does anyway. He slowly drifted off to sleep, unaware that at that moment his life was about to take another twist in its long road.

1954 was suddenly jolted from slumber as the door to his cell opened and 3 people stepped in. Before he could let out a shocked scream, a bag was placed over his body. He could feel his restraints being broken as the 3 figures lifted him up and carried him out, ignoring his futile struggles. Before long he felt the bag lifted from his head as he fell onto some kind of wooden platform. Fear laced his eyes as he looked around and saw a bunch of men wearing white uniforms and an old man wearing a white lab coat looking down on him. For the first time in his life, he noticed the stars in the sky; it was nighttime. The boy shrank away from the men as his heart felt as if it was about to rip out of his chest.

"He's terrified Doctor, he's traumatized. Considering where he's been held for Kami knows how long…" one of the marines told the old man.

"Caesar… that bastard…" The old man cursed with gritted teeth. He then looked at the boy with a kinder smile. "Don't be afraid child, you will not be harmed anymore."

"Please… Stay away from me… Don't give me any chemicals again!" the boy sobbed.

"There are no chemicals here, you have my word." The kind scientist whispered. Inwards he was cursing his colleague Caesar Clown for hiding this fact from the rest of the community. Unlike his psychotic colleague, Dr. Vegapunk was someone that obeyed the morals of science in his experiments. His inventions were to be used to benefit people worldwide. While he respected his colleague's genius, there was absolutely no way that he will condone such behavior, on a young CHILD at that! Dr. Vegapunk done a fair share of covering up for his gaseous co-worker, but this is where he draws the line. And so tonight he decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Do not worry child, these marines will take you to their base and then they will arrange to find you a home". 1954 looked around and saw many more soldiers look at him with remorseful smiles, and slowly understood the situation. "I still can't believe that Caesar would go to such lengths to do something like this, even if you've eaten the Goji-Goji no Mi…"

"It hurts…" 1954 whispered, remembering all the torment he went at the hands of the sadistic scientist.

"I've no doubt it did, but leave that all behind! From now on your life will begin anew!" the good doctor reassured him. "Now, do you have a name, child? I would like to know who I rescued today!"

1954 thought deeply at this; from as far as he knew he had only been referred to as prisoner 1954. Then he found another word, deep within the reaches of his mind. He never heard it before, but here it was.

"G-Gian…" the boy whispered. Yes, that must be his name!

"Well Gian, my name is Dr. Vegapunk, and I sincerely apologize for all that you suffered at the hands of my colleague. Know that you possess a powerful devil fruit, and even though you are too young to use it effectively now, it would surely bloom in the future. I am a person that is highly interested in those fruits, and I am working on a way to separate those powers from a person. If you ever find those powers troublesome, then find me when you're older, and perhaps I can help you with it. Then again, who knows? You might just use it well!"

A marine gestured to Vegapunk signaling that they do not have time before Caesar will find that his test subject is missing. Vegapunk nodded and tossed a wad of beri at the marine. Before he left, he felt Gian grab onto his hand.

"Thank you doctor! I don't know how I can ever repay you!" The boy choked out with tears of happiness flowing freely.

"That's something you have no need of concerning yourself with, my boy! From now on, your life is your own!" With that Vegapunk stepped off the deck of the small marine boat and the ship set sail, away from Punk Hazard. As he felt the boat rock with the waves, Gian could feel himself doing something he's never done in his life before: smile.

If only fate was not that cruel…

"Lazy brat! Put more back into it!" a voice barked. Gian glowered at the source of the voice but did as he was told and threw a few more bags onto the shore.

It was now about 2 weeks since Gian was liberated from his status as a test subject but instead of living a normal life now, he was captured once again. Not by Caesar Clown, thankfully, but in his mind this was just as terrible.

The source of the voice was a fat man named Riddo, a pirate. His pug like face sneered at the boy now carrying boxes. His crew had recently entered the New World, and to celebrate, they decided to raid a marine ship to test their new strength. This one was just a small boat with a few soldiers, and were no match for the bloodthirsty pirates. To add to the spoils, they had found a small child cowering on the deck when they had slaughtered everyone else. With that, they took him aboard and he was now forced to be a cabin boy.

The rest of the crew laughed and one of them threw a sake bottle at the young boy. Gian winced as the glass cracked against his skull, but didn't dare cry. If Riddo caught him shedding even a single tear he would beat him, saying that he had no place for a wretch in his crew. The cuts healed fast anyway, he had his powers to thank for that!

Gian cursed them under his breath. These men were the lowest of the low! They had just pillaged a small village and he was forced to load up the spoils. The men laughed and sung profanely alongside their captain, occasionally throwing some verbal abuse at the boy.

" _How did I end up like this? I was supposed to be free by now…"_ Gian thought sadly as he continued his work. He was literally a slave on this god forsaken ship. It made him feel disgusted. He had many plans of escape over the past 2 weeks, but all had failed and he was punished each time for it.

A sudden shout made Gian shoot his head up to see 3 members of the crew laughing as they surrounded a young couple and their child, the parents holding their child close as it cried and looked fearfully at their captors. One of the men smirked evilly as he raised a cutlass. Gian's eyes widened in horror as he realized what was about to happen. Something inside him snapped as he felt himself dropping the boxes and dashed over the 3 pirates.

"STOP IT! THEY'VE DONE NOTHING TO YOU!" Gian shouted as he tried in vain to pull the pirate aside.

"What the hell you little bastard? Get LOST!" the other two snarled and kicked him away. Gian hissed in pain as the boot connected with his rib. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Riddo stagger towards him and delivered another boot to the stomach.

"Insolent Brat! Who do you think you are?!"

Gian glared hatefully at the fat captain, he had been enduring enough torment from his captors, and he had enough. "Let… them go!"

"Or what? You think you order us around?! You forget your place you pitiful wretch!" Riddo spat. He then pulled out a pistol and aimed it at the husband who then fell to his knees and begged in vain for his family's life. "For that performance, you personally will see their execution!"

That was the last straw for Gian as he rose to his feet and stared with a murderous look at the fat captain. With all his strength he threw himself at Riddo, knocking the surprised man off-balance. The pistol went off, the bullet embedding itself into the sand inches away from the terrified man's head.

"THAT'S IT! YOU'RE DEAD YOU PEST!" Riddo screamed as he delivered a punch to the boy. Gian fell to the sand as the rest of the crew joined in on the assault, each yelling vile curses as the punched and kicked the poor boy. " _This is it I suppose, I'll never see the world beyond these seas"_ Gian thought sadly as the blows rained down on him. He was beginning to feel light headed, yet for some reason he was still conscious.

" _No…"_ a voice deep within him sounded. Gian suddenly opened his eyes. He would not die here! He does not deserve death by such fiends of men! " **NO!** "

With that declaration a burst of energy knocked all the members of the Riddo Pirates back. "What the hell?!" Riddo said in surprise as the whole crew heard an unnatural growl that was increasing in volume from their captive. Looking at Gian Riddo saw in horror that the boy was hunched over. But what was even more terrifying was that black scales started to pop out of his skin, and maple leafed dorsal fins began growing out of his back. Then Gian lifted his head and where his yellow eyes once were, they were now fiery red…

Then another explosion rocked the shore, covering the crew with dust. Coughing in a fit of terror, the fat captain and the crew could just barely make out the silhouette of massive creature within the dust cloud. They could barely comprehend what was going on. " _Just what is happening?! We just made it to the New World! We can't just end like this!"_ Riddo thought in fear as the silhouette moved. And then…

" **SKHREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEONNNKKKKKKKKKK"**

More screams began to sound the air after that crescendo. Riddo looked in horror as he realized his crew was being butchered by an unknown beast. Then the world got darker, and Riddo screamed in horror as a dark shape descended upon him. The last thing he saw was a monstrous foot slowly beginning to crush him. And then he knew no more…

 **A/N: Hot damn! That's the longest story I've written so far! This story had been in my head for the longest time, and only now is it starting to take effect! I truly hope you all enjoy this as Gian's adventure is just beginning! Stay tuned and don't forget to review!**


	2. With saviors like these

**A/N: Looking at the first chapter, I want to say Thank You! For giving this story over 100 views in less than 24 hours! Thank you all for giving this story attention. So without further ado here's the second Chapter**

 **Another thing I forgot to mention in the first chapter is that it takes place 8 years before the story begins. At that time Gian is 15 years old. Gian will be 23 years old by the time he meets Luffy.**

 **And to end this long intro: Godzilla and One Piece is owned by Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership saves for any OCs, powers, and locations.**

 _Fire blazed the coast around the great beast. Its charcoal black scales were glowing in the light of the crackling flames. Around it laid the bodies of a dozen men, all with torn body parts, those intact were burned beyond recognition. The beast's tail swung once, cracking the flimsy ship into dozens of pieces._

 _Another roar ripped across the night sky. The monster's back shone blue for a split second before encasing the island in a blue light of destruction._

"Hah!" Gian woke from his trance in a jolt.

He was wearing the same beat up brown shirt and pants that he'd changed into on the marine ship before it was destroyed. Riddo never bother giving him any new clothes during his enslavement so it had remained with him. The shirt was now drenched in sweat. He looked around and saw that he was lying in a small bed, one that was much more comfortable than the one slept in before. " _How did I end up in another ship's cabin?"_ Gian wondered as he looked around in bewilderment. The cabin was a lot cleaner than Riddo's ship; that had pretty much the entire crew crammed into it and even with him cleaning it every day the mess never went away. Looking back on that time Gian had to wonder how they even manage to set sail in the first place.

The room was lit by a few candles and it gave off a peaceful environment. Gian let out a breath and allowed his mind to settle, thinking about what is going on.

Then the door to the room opened and 3 people stepped in.

Gian's eyes widened as the trio's faces lit up as they saw he was up. One man was a rather rotund fellow wearing a green cap with white stripes and a matching shirt. He was carrying a stick of meat with a bite out of it. His eyes were covered by a pair of red goggles. The second man had dirty brown hair in curls wearing a black shirt, shorts and a large belt. The third man, one that was marching straight to him, was a man in his late 20s. His hair was orange colored in the style of a Mohawk. He was wearing a tight mesh suit with wetsuit pants. In his hand was a golden three-pronged spear which he laid against the wall as he noticed Gian. ( **A/N this is an O.C I'm adding to the crew, he'll be quite important for this chapter of the story.)** Gian suddenly felt a feeling of dread creep up within him. He had a bad feeling about who these people are.

"Hey he's up!" The plump man said jovially. "Are you hungry? Here have some of this." He offered some of the meat to Gian but he only stiffened.

"Roo you're scaring the kid, go get Benn and the Captain, we'll look after him." The curly haired man addressed the fat man named Roo. As he left, he turned back towards Gian. "How are you feeling?"

"W-where am I? Who are you people?" too many questions he needed answers to.

"Guess we forgot introductions, haven't we? My name is Yassop, the guy who just left the room was Lucky Roo, and this guy with the punk-ass hair is Triton." Yassop said, gesturing to the door as well as the man with the Mohawk.

"Watch your language around kids Yas." Triton chuckled "we found you on the island after we saw it burning in the distance. You were the only one that was still breathin'. You know what happened?"

Gian wanted to say something, but he was hesitant to. Something told him that these people weren't your average ship's crew. Tentatively he squeaked out "W-where am I?"

"You're on the Red Force, the vessel of the Red Haired Pirates. We're still deciding what to do with you right now so just sit tight for a while and I shouldn't have said that should I? Triton caught himself as he saw the boy's eyes widen with fear.

"So you _are_ pirates!" Gian whispered fearfully. The idea of just getting out of one pirate crew only to be caught by another terrified him. He shrank further into the bed, hoping to disappear while the two men frantically tried to justify themselves.

"You and your big mouth!" Yassop snapped at the Mohawk man "Look kid, we're not trying to hurt you! We just can't have a kid on our ship in the New World! It's not safe!" His voice fell on deaf ears as the boy refused to listen.

"Stay away! I will not be held captive by another person ever again!" Gian was starting to get angry. Each time when he thinks he's tasted freedom he is bound once again. He raised his fist; he was preparing to go down fighting this time. No more being a coward.

"Hey relax! We really don't want to hurt you! Here I'll show you a few tricks!" Yassop tried to reason with him. He figured that doing a bit of sharpshooting would calm him down and let him be awed by his sniper skills, after all Luffy and his son loved it lots! Unfortunately he forgot what context they were in and Gian's fear only escalated as he saw the curly haired man pull out a gun. Yassop was forced to duck under a multitude of objects.

"Why the hell would you pull a gun on the kid?! Now you made him even more terrified!" Triton snapped at the sniper.

"That wasn't what I had in mind! Also this happened because of you, you know that?" Yassop shouted back.

"Use for head for once, Scope-eyes! We're in a fucking cabin! What the hell are you going to shoot, my hair?!"

"You know, that actually sounds like a fantastic idea right about now sailhead! Watch this kid! I'll shoot that mast of his from all the way across the ship!"

And so the scene of a whimpering child huddled on a bed while two men argued was what Benn Beckman came across when he and the captain finally reach the room.

After a bit Gian had calmed down significantly, though he still had distrust very visibly plastered to his face. He studied the two newcomers. The one they called Benn Beckman is a middle aged man with long grey hair and an X-shaped scar across the left side of his face. He wore a simple black shirt and carried a serious expression on his face. Gian concluded that he must be the first mate of the ship.

But none of those people could give off anything close to what the red headed captain currently standing in front of the cot. Dressing in a black coat covering a white shirt, the man stared compassionately towards the shivering boy. His signature red hair easily stood out in the dimly lit room. Upon closer inspection, Gian could see that the man's left eye had 3 scars across it. Only his right arm was revealed; where his left arm should be was covered by his black cloak.

" _Must be to deceive people into thinking he only had one arm"_ Gian thought.

"I'd like to apologize for the behavior of my crew here, normally they're more dignified" The red head spoke at last, ignoring the exaggerated pouts of his two crewmembers. He had a surprisingly smooth voice for a pirate, and Gian couldn't help but feel a bit more comfortable. "My name is Shanks, I'm a pirate. It's not every day we find a boy passed out on a burnt down beach, so we brought you here."

"And you're planning to use me as a servant I suppose?"

Shanks raised an eyebrow at that "Now why would I do that?"

"Don't play around," Gian sneered, you're just like everyone else on these seas! The minute someone trusts you, then you'll stab em in the back!" His voice rose at that.

Realization hit Shanks as he realized the boy isn't just some castaway "How much have you been through?" he whispered.

"DON'T THROW ANY PITY AT ME! YOU'RE JUST LIKE THE LAST DAMN PIRATE WHO SAID HE'LL LET ME GO SOON!" tears began falling down Gian's face again; he was reliving all of his bad memories, from his imprisonment on Punk Hazard to servitude under Riddo, all of it came crashing back. "I just want to be left alone…" he croaked, curling up against the covers of the bed.

An arm wrapped around his shoulders and began to comfort him. Gian tried to inch away but instead found himself sobbing into the owner's chest. He can hear Shank's voice speaking as he cried out all of his pain. "You don't have to worry about that anymore, I am not going to harm you. No one will ever harm you while you're here."

 _A few days later_

Gian was on the deck of the Red Force, leaning against the mast and reading a book about the Grand Line. Benn had given it to him, saying that when they weren't having parties it can get a bit boring. Shanks had told him that he'd contacted an acquaintance of his who owned a trading ship that was going to East Blue and said that it would take him there, claiming that the New World was too dangerous for a kid like him. It would take around a week and a half to get to the rendezvous point and now he was passing the time.

Gian thought back on the last few days; it had certainly been a new experience. Shanks was not your average pirate captain after all. While Riddo had no qualms about asserting his dominance over his crew, he did it quite often in fact, Shanks from the start had treated the rest of the crew as his equals. Everybody here got along well with each other and there was always an abundance of merriment coming around.

Shanks was also really laid back in everything he does and was rarely very serious. He would frequently hold parties, and almost always he would be wasted by the end of the night. Gian had been involved in a number of these events, and at one point was almost offered some sake were it not for the intervention of Benn Beckman. However, Gian knew that under this laid back personality laid a fighter that would put his life on the line to protect those he cared about. It had only been a day earlier that he discovered that Shanks was a Yonko, one of the four emperors of the sea, and a legendary figure in the world of pirates.

He had also gotten well acquainted with the crew. Benn Beckman was the responsible first mate and a very intelligent person, Lucky Roo was the happy chef of the crew and often made special dishes for their little guest. Yassop was the sniper, who would often entertain everybody with his sharpshooting skills (in the end Gian did see them, and he was absolutely amazed) and would always tell of how proud he was of his son. He even stayed in the same cabin with Rockstar, a fairly new crewmember who joined only a few days before they found him. Everybody in the crew enjoyed Gian's company a lot and treated him as one of their own.

Most importantly however was Triton. Gian smiled as he recalled the meeting they had the day after the Red Hair Pirates found him.

 **Flashback**

" _So you told me that you've been locked away for a very long time?" the Mohawked pirate told Gian as they sat near the dragon-like figurehead of the ship._

" _Yup, was an absolutely terrible time of my life. Every week the mad scientist would drag me to this testing chamber and pump me full of shit I have no idea of. I swear I could be crushed under a rock and it would've been less painful!"_

" _All because of the power you have?"_

" _Apparently! Just looking back at it makes me angry…" Gian's fists clenched slightly as he remembered all the horrible things he's suffered under Caesar Clown. "Just because I'm slightly different he used me as a Guinea pig!"_

" _It's because of your devil fruit. If you eat one of those you are granted powers that normal people could only imagine at the cost of being unable to swim. And you have a very special one indeed."_

" _I hate it! It's made my life absolute hell thus far!"_

 _Triton smiled at that "Do not be so quick to judge, your powers could be used to help those who are special to you. Soon you might even use it without your knowledge!"_

" _But why does it have to be me? Why am I the only one that has one of these things? That damn Gasman didn't even see me as a person because of it!" Gian protested._

" _That happens sometimes, but who said you were the only one that had one of these?"_

" _I'm not?"_

" _Of course not, many people on these seas possess a devil fruit power. In fact you are looking at one right now!" Gian's eyes widened at that._

" _You're a devil fruit user?"_

" _Aye, in fact the two of us share more in common than you think. Now, do you remember anything before you blacked out on the beach the other day?"_

" _What does that had to do with anything?" Gian questioned. Then he remembered "I was getting beaten up, then there was a big explosion and suddenly I heard screams all around me. All I saw was red for a bit there. Then everything just went dark and when I woke up I was on this ship."_

 _Triton nodded "you see, there is 3 types of devil fruits that exist. The paramecia type modifies the user's body, the logia type turns the user into a certain element, and the zoan type that allows the user to transform into animals. You and I are both in this third class, or more specifically a special kind of this third class, we are Kaiju-Zoan users."_

" _Kaiju-Zoan?"_

" _You see, Zoan fruits are separated into different types. Regular Zoan fruits just turn you into any regular old animal, but there are also ancient zoans that turn you into prehistoric animals. Then there are the mythical zoan fruits that allow you to transform into beasts of legend, and those are the rarest of them. We both ate Kaiju-Zoan fruits, any guess on what those do?"_

" _It turns us into monsters?"_

" _That is does!" Triton beamed "All big, scary and full of teeth! Kaiju-Zoan fruits also have unique properties that effect the user as well, since you ate the Goji-Goji no Mi in addition to your monster form you are also granted the ability to use radiation."_

" _So that's why I can heal so fast…"_

" _And me with my Titan-Titan no Mi allows me to detect sonar, it's why I'm the navigator here"._

 _Triton stood up with a more serious expression on his face. "Now do you remember what you felt when you transformed?"_

 _Gian stiffened at this. "I remember there was a growing feeling of anger; I didn't want to accept that my life could end just then."_

 _Triton nodded "That's the reasons that Kaiju-zoan users differ slightly than other zoan users. Your power first have to be unlocked, usually done through an event that brings out strong emotions, anger, sorrow, love, all that kind of sappy shit" Triton then closed his eyes slightly, his posture looked slightly down trodden. As soon as it had appeared, it disappeared and he had a bright smile again. "After that though you can then transform!"_

 _As soon as he said that, Triton's body began to change. His skin began to turn red and many bumps grew out of it. His face elongated and resembled a lizard's with a large fin on top, his hands and feet grew claws. A tail grew out of his pants, it ending with a fan shaped sail._

 _Gian was wide-eyed as he saw the transformation took place. Where Triton once stood there was now a reptilian beast. "This here is the Partial Transformation, it turns you into a smaller version of the monster you represent. You'll get strength and speed many times greater than any normal person." Triton explained. Upon closer inspection, Gian could see that he still had some human features, and that he was still wearing his clothes._

" _But I remembered being absolutely gigantic, why are you so small?"_

" _I'm getting to that, what you went through is what I like to call a Full Transformation, it will turn you into the full manifesto of the beast within. In that form you are pretty much a battering ram, a force of nature if you will. I'm not gonna show it to you right now, mostly because the guys would kill me if I sank the ship but also we are still devil fruit users so I'd rather not get us drowned."_

" _But you have fins?"_

" _Still doesn't change the order of things unfortunately, somehow there was a major oversight there. Not to mention that after transforming you'd become extremely exhausted due to Full Transformations requiring all your stamina to do. After turning back, you won't be able to move or use any haki for around 20 minutes."_

" _What's haki?"_

" _Alright now you're just asking too many questions, don't worry about it it's not something you need to know just yet, maybe someday. Now I want you to practice a Partial Transformation." Triton said before Gian could ask another question. "Just concentrate and it'll come naturally."_

 _Gian took a deep breath and imagined himself as a smaller version of the beast he transformed into days before. He could feel his bones begin to harden and muscles grow denser. When he opened his eyes he was staring at the reflection of a monster with charcoal black scales, muscular tail, maple leaf shaped dorsal fins and a dinosaur like head. He stayed in that form for a few more seconds before he turned back into normal. "That was so cool! But it's kind of tiring…"_

" _Yeah it can feel like that in the beginning, but you'll get used to it, by the time you do you'll feel like a lion whenever you transform!" Triton smiled._

 _The rest of the day Gian practiced his transformations. He wanted to master it as soon as possible._

 **Flashback ends**

Gian smiled as he reminisced about that day, since then the two had developed a sort of teacher-student relationship with each other. Triton had begun teaching him a few fighting moves, saying that sometimes you need to let action do the talking." So far, Gian has been making a decent amount of progress.

"The sea is peaceful today isn't it?" a voice broke him out of his memories. Gian turned to see Shanks leaning against the mast with a smile.

"Yeah, usually that means it's gonna turn bad later on."

"Don't worry about it, we should still get to our destination in time."

"That eager to get rid of me Captain-san?" Gian joked

"Dahahahaha, well considering you and Lucky pretty much ate a month's worth of food in the last few days I got to take some precautions." Shanks laughed. "Everyone's gonna miss you Gian, we really do like having you travel with us."

"I do as well, I kind of don't want to leave right now."

"Who knows? Maybe when you're older you will set out to sea like anyone else,"

"I'm 15."

"You can wait a few more years then."

At this moment the wind picked up and Shank's cloak was lifted up. Gian let out a gasp as he saw Shank's left arm, or lack thereof. Where his left arm should be was only an empty sleeve flapping in the wind.

"Getting windy there" Shanks responded nonchalantly, not even bothering to hide it.

"Wh-What happened to your arm?"

"Oh this? I traded it for a good friend of mine. He was a good kid, just like you." Shanks responded, not bothered in the least by his missing appendage.

"But doesn't it bother you? It'll be so hard to do certain things now!"

"Well I do have a difficult time scratching parts I can't reach now, but aside from that it's no big deal. A friend of mine is worth more than any part of me." Shanks smiled at the memory.

"You may have been alone for most of your life, but your life is just beginning. One day, you too will finds nakama that you will cherish, and would do anything for."

Gian couldn't help but smile at that statement. All that just made him respect the red haired captain even more. Being used as a test subject his whole life, he never had any experience with comradeship until now. It was a good feeling indeed.

" _My own nakama one day, yeah! I think I like that idea!"_

 _A few days later_

The Red Hair pirates finally made it to the rendezvous point, and it was time to drop Gian off. Gian had really gotten acquainted with the crew during this time, he really didn't want to leave them now. Even some members of the crew had to hold tears in as they went to see him off.

"Do I really have to go? I can be really useful! I'll help Lucky-san around with food, help Triton-senpai with his log poses, I'll clean Yassop-san's guns. I really want to stay with you guys! " Gian pleaded one last time. The week and a half he spent with the Red Haired Pirates were the best days he ever had, he doesn't want to lose it all!

"We like you here Gian, we really do. But it is way too dangerous for you to be out here in the New World right now." Shanks said sadly. "I know you like to sail the seas, keep dreaming that dream! One day I know we will meet on the seas again!"

Gian nodded fiercely. "You can count on it! When I'm older I'll come back and personally thank you for this! I don't know if I want to become a pirate yet, but we will see each other again!"

The merchant ship that was to be transporting Gian to East Blue motioned to them to hurry it up. Gian leapt onboard and waved back. "I will think of you all! I'll never forget this kindness. Especially Triton-Senpai!" The mohawked man beamed back "Thank you for giving me all those lessons! Before I used to think my powers were a curse, but you showed me otherwise! I promise you went we meet again I'll master the Goji-Goji no Mi to perfection!"

Triton raised his trident at that "That's what I want to hear! Hold true to that goal! I'll look forward in seeing it!"

With that the merchant ship sailed off, Gian sighed and looked towards the direction of East Blue. He would be starting a new life by himself soon, and although he will miss the Red Haired Pirates dearly, he was excited to see what his new life held for him.

Back with the Red Haired Pirates, they were still watching the ship as it sailed off into the distance. "I really do have something with kids don't I Benn?"

"Both Luffy and Gian are good boys" Benn replied, "I'm sure they will both be good captains should Gian also decide to become a pirate."

"Oh they'll be more than that!" Triton spoke up this time "I have a feeling that there's a good chance Gian and Luffy would meet each other, hell they'll even be in the same crew! They look like they'd get along well with each other."

"Dahahahaha, oh now that's a good observation!" Shanks laughed "and you are right, they most definitely will be meet each other." Everything adds up now that he thinks about it! "Ahhh, this generation is for sure going to be in for a wild ride the day those two encounter each other."

 **A/N: And Chapter 2 is done! Again thank you all who have given this story attention by viewing it or giving it a favorite! They give me a good idea on what I should do later on! The real adventure will finally begin next chapter which I think should be done sometimes next week should nothing happen. Finals are coming up soon though, so after next week I'll mostly have to focus on that, but all in all I should still have time!**

 **Gian: Well good to see you aren't torturing me this chapter. What were you even going with that shit? Making torture porn or something?**

 **KP: Oh be quiet, you're a big boy you can take it. Plus you're just getting started.**

 **Gian *sigh**

 **Review please!**


	3. Meeting someone new

**A/N Yup this is definitely my most popular story in terms of follows and favorites. I'm happy that people are enjoying this so much. I don't think I've ever had more energy writing something more than this! So here's chapter 3 for you all!**

 **Also a guest reviewer asked what Triton's monster is supposed to be. Well it's supposed to be based on Titanosaurus from the movie Terror of Mechagodzilla. One of the weaker entries but a time passer nonetheless.**

 **And last of all One Piece and Godzilla are owned by Eiichiro Oda and Toho Co. LTD. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs and original powers.**

 _8 years later_

The pack of 6 giant lizards rushed towards the scent of prey. It is the dry season now in Solgell Island and food was harder for these creatures to find. The lizards rushed into a clearing where they believed food was to be found, but found nothing but an odd device. The perplexed reptiles were puzzled when suddenly one of them was crushed by a falling object. The lizard beside it let out a startled yelp before a punch knocked it into a tree. The remaining four lizards were snarling at the intruder, who revealed himself to be a black haired young man. One of the lizards pounced at the newcomer, but only received a jaw-shattering stomp-kick. Another lizard tried his luck and was thrown over the shoulder and into another tree. One more lizard charged directly at the man, mouth full of needle like teeth open and salivating. The man grinned slightly before closing his right hand into a fist. He focused for a split second as a fiery blue aura enveloped his hand. Just as the lizard leapt up, the man delivered a swift uppercut, knocking the lizard upwards and back many yards.

The last remaining lizard stared dumbly at the scene. When the man put out his hand he looked to him and made a "come get some" gesture. With a squeal the last reptile turned tail and fled, not wanting to end up in the same fate as the others of its kind. The man let out a chuckle before the bushes behind rustled to reveal a small boy of around 10 years old. "Caught today's dinner Rokuro-kun! Enough for all 4 of us."

"That was so cool Gian-aniki! You were all like POW! POW! BOOM! BOOM! BANG! And you took them all on even though there were 6 of them and-"the little boy named Rokuro excitedly shouted out loud and mimicking the movements. Gian just chuckled and ruffled the little boy's hair, his surrogate brother was easily impressed by everything but that was natural for his age.

Gian had changed drastically during his 8 years of freedom. What was once a scrawny timid boy now was now a 6'5 young man and gained more muscle in his arms. The wiry hair that once coated his head now stood straight, styled with 3 jagged rows higher than the rest. He now wore a sleeveless skintight black vest that, according to its creator, was supposed to increase aerodynamics in humans due to the nano-sized scales embedded in the fabric. His old pants have also been replaced with a pair of black shorts. Gian is also wearing grey combat boots fit with black leg-guards, also supposedly supposed to increase jumping and kicking strength.

"Well I gotta hand it to your big brother's bait device this time. It's great when his inventions aren't blowing up in my face for once!"

"Goro-nii's inventions don't blow up all the time! Maybe about 77.43% of them but they still work!"

"Skrehahaha! Well then I guess I just got lucky with them. C'mon let's get these reptiles back to the facility so that we'll actually have something to eat." Gian chuckled. The smaller boy nodded and started to drag one of the lizards back towards their shared abode. He was struggling with the weight while Gian hoisted the remaining 4 onto his shoulders with no trouble at all. " _Triton-Senpai's physical training schedule back then really comes into use now"_ he thought.

Eventually the research facility that they lived in came into view. Gian could see a man working on some sort of vehicle out front. The figure of the two saw them and waved. He went over to help them out. "Hey nice haul today you two!"

"Gian-aniki did most of the work! He pretty much unleashed righteous glory upon the accursed demons that plague these lands!" Rokuro babbled on excitedly. The two older men laughed at the little boy's tone.

"Well Hiroshi-san, Goro-san's new device that mimics the scent of the lizard's natural food source happens to make this all work out, otherwise we'd have to go across the whole island just to find something."

Hiroshi Jinkawa was a man in his mid-20s, he was wearing a casual checkered coat as he looked at his newly constructed automobile. He was an avid inventor alongside his best friend Goro Ibuki. The three of them were from Loguetown, but would come to Solgell Island for much of the year and the place had practically become a second home to them. They had been on another of their stays here when Gian arrived unexpectedly one day. Since then, the three of them have come to practically accept him as a part of their little family, and likewise Gian valued them as well.

The door to the white colored building opened up and two more figures walked out. The first was person who wore a blue vest that was stained with an unknown liquid. He is Goro Ibuki, a young inventor, avid technology enthusiast, as well as Rokuro's older brother. Despite his rather plain appearance, Goro is one of the most brilliant figures of science in all of East Blue, and the figure behind him was full proof of that, as that figure was no mere human. The humanoid object was in fact a robot colored in red white and blue with yellow shoulder guards. The tip of the machine's head was tapered to a point, and it's face consisted of black lenses and a wide smile (Gian never understood the significance of having that smile; Goro had tried explaining that it was to make it look more friendly to others but Gian had argued that it would just look creepy.). This robot is named Jet Jaguar by its creator, and true to its form, it is capable of actions that some would consider it to be sentient. Jet Jaguar, according to Goro, is equipped with many features such as an internal language storage, shock cables, and martial arts database. It was an all-rounded multipurpose machine and, as of right now, Goro's most successful invention yet.

"See Gian? I told you my Lizard Trap would work and you didn't believe me!" Goro jokingly gloated to his friend.

"Hey it's not my fault I've gotten the worse end of the stick half the time, it's perfectly natural for me to be cautious." Gian shot back while the inventor made an exaggerated heart attack motion.

" _ **It Is More Likely That Gian-san's Fighting Prowess Was The Reason For Today's Success. He Is Quite The Brawler."**_ Jet Jaguar robotically added his input.

"Even my own invention doubts me!" Goro then started crying anime-tears. The 3 other humans all got a good laugh at the situation. "Well at least we got today's dinner! Come on you three, if you wanna eat you gotta help!"

The three started following the inventor and his robot into the building. Gian however lagged behind slightly as he stared wistfully towards the shoreline. He let out a short sigh as certain thoughts began clouding his mind. He was grateful to the Ibuki-Jinkawa team for letting him stay with them indefinitely, he really was! The three of them, after their first impressions and hearing about his past had no qualms about him staying with them. Since that day Gian had become a big part of their family, often playing with his newfound baby brother and helping the inventor duo with some of their projects.

But Gian always had this feeling deep within him that told him that his destiny lied beyond this simple island and out there in the vast ocean. Many a nights has he dreamt of sailing the seas and going on awesome adventures that he would tell others about. It made him remember the promise he made to Shanks and the Red-hair pirates about traveling the seas. He still had to show Triton how much he's adapted to the Goji-Goji no Mi's power.

" _I really should work on that plan, I just need to tell them. I just hope Goro-san and his family wouldn't be too sad"_ he thought as he walked back towards the house.

Unbeknownst to him, said three people were currently watching him from the windowsill. "Gian's doing his moping again" Hiroshi said.

"It's growing strong, the urge to explore the outside world." Goro let out a smile. Personally he also would've jumped at the chance to leave to explore the world if it weren't for his…duties.

"We really should help him with that, how's your little side project going on Goro?" Hiroshi said. Goro beamed at the mention of his newest invention. He'd made it as a gift for Gian for spending so much time with them " _it would work very well here_ " he thought.

"It's finished, just sitting in the storage until we have a chance to bring it out. I think tonight is a good time as any then!"

"If Gian-aniki is going on an adventure can he take me?" Rokuro pondered. As a child it was only natural that he'd be curious about the outside world. It excited him to know that there was more to this world than just this simple island.

"You're getting way too ahead of yourself kid" Goro ruffled his little brother's hair while the smaller boy pouted "On a serious note everyone is on board with this right?"

The other two males nodded without hesitation. "Good, then our friend is in for a surprise tonight!"

 _Later that evening_

"So how's the gear handling?" Goro asked while the 4 of them are cleaning up after a nice dinner of barbeque lizard. Every once in a while the young inventor would think up a new invention and the role of testing them usually fell to Gian. He didn't particularly mind; it was actually a good experience for him, when they weren't malfunctioning of course! "I gotta say Goro, you were right about how they improve my combat abilities; when I was jumping around and throwing that kick it was as if there were no effort at all!" Gian replied.

Gian had started his daily combat training after he left the Red Haired pirates. It started on the ship that took him to East Blue and it was still a big part of his daily life. Thanks to the native lizard population on the island and Jet Jaguar's martial arts database, Gian's physical prowess had seen a massive increase, in addition to him adapting to the Goji-Goji no Mi. Recently he's been equipping Goro's newly developed gear, allowing him to try something else and helping Goro with his findings.

"Well if you like it so much, you should take it with you when you go on your journey."

Gian paused "W-what do you mean?"

"Gian, ever since you started living with us 8 years ago, you've become a big part of our lives. We can't imagine not having you here with us. That being said, we know your heart belongs out on the seas. You wish to go to new places and travel with the people you meet. We've noticed that for a while now." Goro explained.

"… Am I really that obvious?"

"More than you think."

Gian sighed; he knew this was coming for a while now. "It's true. I do want to see what the rest of the world is like. Ever since I made that promise to Triton-Senpai. And you guys are saying you don't mind this?"

The three shook their heads. "What kind of friend would I be if I denied someone on their chance to go on an adventure? I've actually been building something for this specific occasion you know! Think of it as a gift from all of us."

Rokuro grabbed Gian's arm and eagerly led him towards the storage in the back. The minute the door opened Gian's eyes widened and a smile slowly formed on his face. Jet Jaguar was doing polish on what appears to be a one-person blue and red boat. Unlike any other boat however, there was a large extension near the bow that separated into two handles. Its stern also had two exhaust pipes with a propeller. More propellers lined its hull. The inside of the boat seemed hollowed out with 2 chambers where a person's legs would go. Gian noticed the design of the boat was similar to his Partial Transformation form.

"This is the G2k-MK 1, it's still in its prototype but its complete now. Capable of running through both conventional sailing techniques or fueled by the radioactive emissions of your Goji-Goji no Mi. There's nothing like this one so this is yours." Goro explained proudly.

" _ **To Use The Propeller System, Simply Do A Partial Transformation And The Rest You Can Figure Out."**_ Jet Jaguar added.

Gian's eyes were beginning to water; his surrogate family has shown him much kindness over the years, but nothing compared to what he felt during this time. Without hesitating he wrapped the 3 people + robot into a wide hug. "I'm really at a loss for words here. Just… Thank you…. Thank you all."

Goro smiled and patted him on the back. "You're become like a brother to me Gian, it's only natural that I'd want to make up to ya. Now go get ready, you have a big day tomorrow!"

That night Gian could hardly sleep; he was smiling too much to do so.

 _Next Morning_

The Ibuki-Jinkawa family plus Jet Jaguar stood on the shore as Gian's new vehicle slowly took him further. "Everybody! I cannot thank you all enough! Even though you've gave me a place where I belong you still chose to do something that means so much to me! I'll miss you all!" they can hear him shout.

"Have fun out there! Make your mark in history!" Hiroshi waved.

"Don't forget to tell me all about your adventures when you come back!" Rokuro jumped up and down.

" _ **God Speed To You Gian-San! May The Seas Know Who You Are!"**_ Jet Jaguar gave his own robotic wave.

"Your life is how you want to live it Gian! Always remember that! The entire world is yours to explore!" Goro was the last to speak, a few tears unable to be held in. Even though they've prepared for this moment, it was still a bit emotional seeing the 23 year old that they've come to know for 8 years leave them.

Gian was absolutely jubilant now. He was ready to go on the adventure he always wanted. As the small vessel drew further and further away from the shore, he only had one thought

" _My life is fantastic."_

" _Why is my life so shitty?"_

That is the thought that's going through Gian's head at the moment. Why is that you ask? After departing from Solgell, Gian was having an absolute time of his life feeling the ocean breeze in his face. This was cut short not long after though, as in the midst of enjoying himself he did not realize that his vessel was caught in a whirlpool.

Now he thought the G2k- MK1's propeller propulsion would be able to get himself out of this jam, and it really would've. However, as it turned out, some of the propellers appeared to have malfunctioned and there wasn't enough force to get him out of the maelstrom altogether. Gian would've sank under the waves if not for a convenient barrel that floated near his sinking ship. So here he is now, perching precariously above a floating barrel (he'd tried to open it but it was sealed shut for some reason; someone is inside but he did not know that) cursing his surrogate brother for being such an idiot.

" _Goro, I am so going to kick your ass when I get back"_ Back on Solgell said inventor suddenly felt a chill run down his spine as he had a feeling that he was somehow responsible for someone's misfortune. He decided to ignore it as he had an important report to give to an important figure, but the feeling persisted the whole day.

"Well this is a great way to begin the day, what next, some cruise ship would pass by and douse me in seawater?" Gian said to himself sarcastically.

It was as if God personally heard his prophetic vow because in that instant a wave rained down on him. Gian didn't even had time to scream as he felt the cold water drench his clothe and his strength getting sapped. Mustering a glare, he looked up and saw none other than a fancy ship. It seemed to be slowing down.

"I…had to say cruise ship…" Gian grumbled. This was one of those days.

As he dried off and his energy began to return, he felt the barrel being pulled upwards. Soon he was aboard the cruise ship with two workers staring at their haul.

"Well, this is something you don't see every day! What's a good looking fellow like you doing out on the sea without a boat?"

"Had an accident, blame the creator" Gian grumbled somewhat sourly "You guys have a place where I can dry off?"

"You can stay in our cellar until we get to our next destination, there should be some food there as well so feel free to have some. Oh, and take this barrel with you too." The other worker informed him

Gian nodded and headed off towards the pointed direction, unaware that a big event is about to happen.

 _Later_

"PIRATES!" the word cut through the air. Within moments, the ship was in chaos as people scrambled to find a way off the ship. Cannonballs were striking the water now, one of them even hitting the mast of the ship. A pink colored ship with the figurehead of a duck with hearts for its eyes soon closed in. On the deck of the other ship, a group of people, save for one, were laughing at their handiwork. One of them, a large woman wearing a cowgirl hat, blue vest with a pink shirt underneath and white pants, commanded them to board the cruise ship. The woman, who is the captain of the ship, turned to a quivering boy beside her. The boy does not look impressive, short and slightly chubby in stature with pink hair, round glasses and a small sailor's uniform. "COBY!"

"Y-yes Alvida-sama?" the pink haired boy choked out.

"Who is the most beautiful woman on the seas?"

"Y-you of course Alvida-sama!" Coby squeaked out quickly. In reality Alvida was anything but beautiful. She was a very fat woman with a wide face, small eyes and messy freckles. Her midsection made up of almost 80% of her body, making her legs seem abnormally short. Overall she gave people the impression of an ogress, though no one in her crew dared to tell that to her face.

"Take everything you see!" Alvida barked at her crew, before noticing Coby has not left yet. "What are you still doing here?!

"I-I'm not used to this…" Coby weakly protested

"you DARE talk back to me?!"

"N-No!"

"Then get going!" That last yell was more than enough motivation to get the timid boy to scramble away. The large woman then pulled out her signature iron mace as she commanded her crew again.

"No slacking off, those who do will get my iron mace!"

 _Meanwhile with Coby_

Coby managed to find the cellar. He cautiously opened the door to find no one in sight. He let out a sigh of relief before noticing the large barrel. "That barrel is pretty big…" he mused, wondering what's inside. A barrel that big should have lots of food inside right? With that thought in mind he began pushing it to the door. It was at this moment that three other pirates barged in. "You coward! Are you hiding and doing nothing again?" one of them demanded.

"N-no! I was pushing this large wine barrel!" Coby quickly explained.

"Then we'll help you lighten the load! We're really thirsty right now." Another one said.

"Y-you can't! What if Alvida-sama finds out?" Coby squeaked. Everybody in the crew was afraid of their fat captain, her temper was quite quick and she would often use her club to show people the pecking order. This did not discourage the pirates however.

"She won't know if you don't tell her right?" the third pirate threatened.

"I guess not…"

It was at this point that the resident in the kitchen was heard. "For crying out loud! I've had an unpleasant time up to now, so if you all don't mind keep it down I'm trying to nap here!"

The four people jumped at the voice and saw Gian step out from behind a rack, a half-eaten apple in his hand and a slightly annoyed look in his eyes. The three pirates quickly gathered themselves though and glared at the newcomer.

"Hey punk! Do you know who you're talking to?"

"Not really, don't really care either" was the response.

"We're pirates! So hand over all your valuables and we might spare you! Otherwise we'll throw you overboard!"

"Is that so?" Gian's eyes narrowed and his frown turned into a slightly malicious smile. From across the room Coby gulped as he can feel the newcomer emitting a rather frightening aura. The three pirates growled and reached for their weapons. It was at this moment the top of the barrel exploded and a figure emerged. "I SLEPT GREAT!" the newcomer shouted.

The newcomer held his fists up as he emerged from the barrel, his fist ended up hitting one of the pirates in the process, knocking him out. "Who are you guys?" he asked the other 4 people in the room.

"Who are you?!" the three pirates plus Gian demanded back, in the latter's case it was more out of curiosity. " _That explains why the barrel was sealed_ " he thought.

"He'll catch a cold if he sleeps out in the open like that" the newcomer commented about the unconscious pirate. He was a medium sized boy of around 17 years old with blue shorts, sandals and wearing a red colored sleeveless vest. He had big round eyes and a wide smiling mouth. A scar was present below his left eye. His hair was black and rather messy. The most noticeable feature was the straw hat that he was wearing right now.

"IT WAS YOUR FAULT!" the two others yelped.

"Hey you got any food? I'm really hungry right now!" the boy asked Coby and Gian, clearly not even paying attention to the two buffoons behind him. "Hey don't you know we're pirates?" the other two yelled but no one else payed them any mind.

"There's a few apples here at the back." Gian told him. The boy beamed and began to walk towards where said fruit was located. By this time the two pirates were quite angry at being ignored.

"You brat! Die!" the two of them growled and lifted their swords and prepared to swing at the boy's head. Coby let out a scream as the boy began to turn his head. Before anything could happen though, Gian appeared in front of the pirates and grabbed both sword with his bare hands.

"Hey kids, no fighting in the house." He whispered before snapping them in half. The pirates screamed before running from the room. Gian looked at the shallow cuts in his palms as they began to heal. He then turned to the other two people. "Well that was quite eventful."

"W-Who are you guys?" Coby whimpered fearfully.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy! Nice to meet you guys!" the straw hat boy said.

"Gian, just Gian. Nice to meet you guys too I guess."

"You two have to get out of here! Those guys will bring other pirates with them when they come back!"

"Anyway I'm really hungry, you said there were apples here right?" Luffy didn't care at all about the situation.

"Yeah back here; we can share."

"How can you two just say that so calmly!? There are lots of pirates on the deck!"

"Food! Food! Food!" the straw hat boy cheered as they dug in. Coby eventually gave up in trying to convince them and knelt down with them. "I'm Coby, you guys are Luffy-san and Gian-san right?"

"Yeah, is this a pirate ship?" Luffy asked

"It's a passenger ship, well it was but apparently it just got attacked." Gian commented.

"Yeah Alvida-sama just attacked." Coby confirmed.

"Are there any boats on this ship?"

"There should be…" Coby answered

"Good because mine got caught in the whirlpool." Luffy explained.

"Please don't say the word whirlpool near me today" Gian grumbled. He was still quite miffed about that.

"That's impossible! You should be dead!" Coby shouted in surprise.

"Yeah I'm really surprised." Luffy shrugged it off.

"Are you a pirate Coby?" Gian asked. He had a feeling that he wasn't but he just needed to confirm it.

Coby looked downcast for a second before he denied it. "No, I got on a boat one day thinking it was a fishing boat, but it turns out it was travelling to a pirate ship! That was 2 years ago, and ever since I became a slave for them because I was afraid they'd kill me."

"Wow, you're an idiot." Luffy said blunty.

"Don't say it like that!" Coby wept

"Actually he's kind of right… I'm pretty sure that there's a pretty obvious difference." Gian said, making Coby more depressed. "Well why didn't you try to escape?"

"Because it's impossible! Impossible! Impossible!" Coby chanted fearfully "I can't imagine what would happen if Alvida-sama found out!"

"Coby, how do you know it's impossible if you haven't even tried it? I'll admit I was once a slave on a pirate ship too, and it was through sheer willpower that I mustered up the courage to break free." He wasn't telling them exactly how it went, but what they won't know won't hurt them! Luffy and Coby were sort of shock to hear this but Gian continued. "You just gave up before you even attempted anything! The worse they can do is kill you, what do you have to be afraid of?"

"Yeah you're kind of a coward, I don't like you!" Luffy went with a far more simple approach.

"Don't say it like that!" Coby wept anime-tears again.

 _Meanwhile_

The two pirates managed to scramble on deck to find their captain. "There's something below deck! There's a monster… No a person! It could be a bounty hunter…"

"What?!" Alvida shouted in surprise. She had a good reason to as well, as there was only one well known bounty hunter in these seas. "Pirate Hunter" Roronoa Zoro was no laughing matter for people like her. If he was down there, then there was going to be problems…

" _Could it really be him?_ " she thought fearfully.

 _Back below deck_

Coby thought over what the other two said. "You're right, I am a coward… If I was just a bit braver I would've set out in a barrel or something. There's something I wanted to do…" he looked at Gian "you said you escaped from pirates before, how did you do it?"

"Long story; the simplified version is that one day I had enough and snapped. Ended up fighting my way out." Gian replied. Coby sighed at this. Gian was quite built but he wasn't anywhere near that stature! "Hey don't sweat it! That barrel idea sounds like it could work! Both brawn and brain work well when you're trying to take a hike." This made Coby feel slightly better.

"Luffy-san why were you in a barrel?" he asked again

"I'm going to become the King of Pirates!" said boy declared

"P-P-P-PIRATE KING?!"

"Yeah."

"Hoo boy! Quite a dream you got there." Gian chuckled. He was quickly taking a liking to the straw hat boy, sure he seemed kind of dim-witted and was quite blunt. But he could see that this boy had a good heart and possesses lots of potential and strength. Not to mention anyone with a dreamlike that he could respect.

"So you're a pirate then?" Coby asked, when Luffy confirmed it Coby began to panic. "What about you Gian-san?"

"Nah I ain't a pirate, but to be honest it doesn't sound like a bad idea, just got to hang out with the right people…" Gian confirmed.

"Where's your crew Luffy-san?"

"Don't have one yet, looking for them right now." He glanced at Gian and smiled. He's certainly been quite funny to be around so far, he could be a good nakama! "You should join my crew Gian!"

"Now why would I want to do that?" Gian said with an amused smirk.

"You're pretty cool, we can go on all sorts of adventures together!"

"Well I am on my own adventure right now… let me sleep on it." He replied though he had a good feeling what his answer would be in the end anyway.

"The Pirate King is someone who has everything in the world! Wealth, Fame, and Power! All under one person! If you want to become Pirate King that means you are searching for One Piece! ( **G: Roll Credits!)** _ **(KP360: Do not interrupt…)**_ **(G: Sorry…)** "

"Yeah" Luffy confirmed.

"But everyone wants that title! It's impossible, impossible, impossible!" Coby continued to chant that mantra before he was bonked on the head by Luffy. "Why did you hit me?"

"Felt like it" was the response.

"It's not about being possible or not," Luffy continued, getting both their attention "if I succeed, that's fine. If I die trying, then that's fine as well!"

"Well said Luffy!" Gian praised. Yeah he most likely would be joining his crew if he had that attitude.

Coby was awed by that statement, he never looked at it that way before. "Not being afraid to die… My dream to become a marine one day! It's been my dream since I was a child!"

"A marine?" Luffy questioned

"Yeah! I'm gonna become a marine and catch bad guys! Do you guys think I can do it?"

"How should I know?" Luffy replied.

"I don't know, but I were you I would DO IT! JUST DO IT! DON'T LET YOUR DREAMS BE DREAMS! YESTURDAY YOU SAID TOMORROW SO JUST… DO IT! MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!" Gian shouted and struck multiple poses. The two other youths just blinked at him. "Sorry, remembered something for some reason." Damn Goro for showing him that inspiration video! Now he had the urge to do it to every pessimist he sees!

"No, I'm going to do it!" Coby shouted "I am going to catch Alvida-sama!" it was just then the deck collapsed and said pirate tumbled into the cellar from above. "Who are you gonna catch Coby?!"

Coby began cowering at the sight of the fat pirate.

Luffy and Gian stared blankly "I have such an urge to make a joke right now but out of respect I probably shouldn't" Gian quipped.

"Who's the fat lady?" Luffy asked bluntly.

"Lady is a bit of a stretch…"

Alvida became infuriated at the comments. "You **brats!** " she snarled and prepared to swing down her iron mace. Both of them avoided it easily. "Neither of you are pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro!"

"Zoro?"

"Sounds familiar."

"Well let's go!" Luffy said and jumped out, taking Coby with him. Gian on the other hand knelt down and charged up his leg-guards. It gave a small whir as it charged up before he leapt up high into the air. He did a backflip before landing on the deck as well to see them surrounded by pirates. "Well looks like there's a welcoming party" Gian commented.

The pirates rushed the duo, expecting a simple victory. What they got was a total beat down instead. Luffy's stretched his arms back and grabbed on to the mast. " **Gomu Gomu no… Rocket!"** he shouted before releasing his grip and shot off like a missile towards the pirates confronting him, blowing them all way.

Gian on the other hand was far more brutal in his methods, charging up his fists with radiation and delivering bone-crushing punches and kicks, aiming to knock people out directly. The force of his blows were so great that some of the pirates were knocked clean overboard. Soon they had defeat all the pirates and grinned at each other.

Coby was in awe at their feat "Luffy-san, Gian-san, what are you?"

"I ate the Gomu-Gomu No mi, I'm a rubber man!" Luffy stated.

" _Paramecia type, turns body into rubber."_ Gian thought, remembering it from a devil fruit encyclopedia that he read back in Goro-san's lab.

"I ate the Goji-Goji no mi, I can use radiation and heal myself quickly. Plus there's more surprises to it that I'll show you when it is needed." Gian informed them.

"So the two of you are both devil fruit eaters?" Alvida questioned.

"Yeah, we just mentioned."

"I see, I thought they were just a myth. Are you two bounty hunters?"

"No I'm a pirate." "I'm just a passerby." Luffy and Gian responded respectively.

"A pirate? Just you?" Alvida said with some surprise.

"Yeah, just me for now, I'm gonna find more crewmembers later, about 10 should be good." He then remembered Gian and grinned. "Come to think of it, I just found my first crewmember!"

"Hey, I didn't say I'd agree to become a pirate yet." Gian grinned. Oh who was he kidding? He was already too keen on joining the teen.

"In that case then I guess we are enemies then?" Alvida declared as she brought out her signature iron mace. Coby at this point remembered just who they're dealing with.

"Luffy-san, Gian-san you need to run!" he shouted

"Why?" was the simultaneous response.

"Alvida-sama isn't like those underlings you faced earlier! You'll get killed!"

"Kid, back on the island I lived on for 8 years there are giant lizards that are as long as two men are tall. I can take them down no problem one measly pirate won't be much of a problem." Gian said with confidence.

"No! You don't understand! You've seen the power of her iron mace! She's the number one…" Coby began, then began remembering the conversation they had below deck.

" _I have to stand up for myself now! Luffy-san was right! And if Gian-san can have to bravery to escape from pirates than so can I!"_ he thought with determination.

"n-nu-number one UGLY OLD HAG!" he shouted those words out.

"EHHHHHHH?!" the jaws of every other pirate dropped to the deck. What happened to the cowardly boy that served them? Alvida's face darkened at the bold statement. Luffy and Gian on the other hand found it to be absolutely hilarious.

"SKREHAHAHA IT'S ABOUT TO GET REAL UP IN HERR!" Gian chortled while Luffy let out a belly laugh. Who doesn't like a sudden burst of courage?

"What did you just say?!" Alvida growled out.

"You heard me! I'll do what I want from now on! I'll join the marines and catch pirates like you!" Coby yelled back. He was kind of scared at this new found power, but it felt good.

"YOU BRAT!" Alvida snarled as she swung her mace down towards the pink-haired boy's head.

" _Well, this is it!"_ Coby thought as the mace descended upon him " _But I said it and fought for my dreams. I have no regrets now."_ He shut his eyes and braced for impact.

It never came.

"Wha?" Coby cracked open an eye to see Luffy standing in front of him, a wide grin on his face. The mace had collided with his head, but he didn't seemed to be affected in the least. "Well said" he told Coby.

"How?!" Alvida yelled in shock. Coby had similar thoughts.

"He's made of rubber. He just absorbs the blow." Gian concluded. It makes sense come, the mace was a blunt object after all.

Luffy then stretched his arm back a long way. " **Gomu-Gomu no… Pistol!"**

The arm shot back towards Alvida with the speed of a bullet and struck her in the torso. The force was so great that it sent the fat pirate flying overboard and into the distance.

Every pirate along with Coby's mouth were hung wide open at the scene. Gian whistled. That boy certainly had great strength! He had to considering how much that "lady" would've weighed.

"Give Coby a boat, he is going to join the marines!" Luffy ordered. The rest of the pirates immediately did as requested after that display. Then the sound of cannon fire could be heard.

"The marines." Gian commented

"Well, you can go join them!" Luffy told the pink haired boy.

"No! They'll arrest me if they see me here!" The boy shouted.

"He's right. With his association with pirates he can't join them like that just yet. We'll have to find another place for him to join". Gian told them as he rushed towards the boat. Luffy and Coby quickly followed and they lowered the boat into the water.

Meanwhile, on the same ship, another person was also getting on a lifeboat. She was young woman with short orange hair, a pair of short shorts and wearing a white shirt with blue stripes. She had been on the boat when the Alvida Pirates attacked and while they had been occupied she managed to steal a good amount of treasure from them. She smiled at her haul; it was a good amount and enough to give her a good boost in her progress towards her goal…

Then another boat landed beside hers; spraying up a wave and drenching her. She let out a scream as she made brief eye contact with the three members of the other ship. She never even got the chance to say something before the other boat drifted off into the distance.

Neither party knows that their paths would cross again far closer than they'd think.

 **A/N : And Chapter 3 is done! Yes I know this is long as shit, but I just wanted to get the main plot going as fast as possible. I will try to shorten them in the future from now on. For people who are wondering, Goro, Rokuro and Hiroshi are characters from the movie Godzilla v.s Megalon. Jet Jaguar is as well.**

 **And that's all I have to say here, the next chapter would hopefully be up before Dec. 7. As I said before Finals are coming and time must be spent there, but overall there shouldn't be much problems. We will be heading to Shells town next to meet our badass swordsman. Stay tuned and remember to Review!**


	4. Meeting Roronoa Zoro

**Yup, here's chapter 4! Not really much to say other than thank you all for the continued support of this story, so we'll just hop right in.**

 **One Piece and Godzilla are owned by Eiichiro Oda and Toho Co. Ltd respectively. KP360 claims no ownership save for any original characters and abilities.**

"na… na… na na da da da…" The sound of Gian's hums can be heard in the small dinghy that carried the three passengers ( **a/n: this is Gangplank's login screen song during the Bilgewater event)**. It was a tune that he learned from the ship that took him to Solgell Island. In his entire stowaway career he managed to learn many of the old songs and shanties that sailors and pirates frequently sang to avoid boredom, including the famous Bink's Sake. The trio were currently drifting towards another town named Shell's Town, where Luffy and Gian hoped to find their next crew member.

 **Flashback**

" _Luffy-san, since you're going after the One Piece_ _ **(G: ROLL CREDITS!) (KP: Wha-? Will you get out of here?!)**_ _That means you're going to the Grand Line right?" Coby asked the youth as they sailed away from the ship._

" _Yup!" Luffy answered._

" _But's that's known as the Pirate's Graveyard! You won't make it with just the two of you!"_

" _That's why we're getting more nakama". Luffy responded. "The Pirate Hunter, What's he like?" he then asked again._

" _I heard Zoro was captured by the marines…" Coby said. "It was quite surprising because he's very strong! He's a monster! They say that he's a demon disguised in human skin!"_

" _Roronoa Zoro, also known as the Pirate Hunter, is a well-known bounty hunter in East Blue. He's very skilled with the sword and from what I've heard he could possibly be the best swordsman in East Blue." Gian told them. He kept up with news from time to time, it does get boring on a nearly deserted island after all!_

" _Then he'll be a great nakama! Take us to him Coby!" Luffy asked._

" _But he might kill you!" Coby cried out._

" _He could be a nice person." Gian commented._

" _He was caught by the marines because he's bad!" Coby tried to get his friends to change their minds once more. "You can't get him to join you! It's impossible, impossible impossible imp-"he was cut off when Luffy punched him in the head again._

" _Why did you hit me again?" Coby groaned_

" _Felt like it" was the response yet again._

 **Flashback end**

Thank's to Coby's skills in navigation, the three of them were sailing in the right direction "We should be there soon!" Coby revealed.

"That's very impressive!" Luffy praised.

"Every sailor knows how to navigate! It's the basic skill!" Coby explained "Gian-san can you navigate?"

"I can read a few maps, and I know the basic idea of it, but anything more than that I'm no help." Gian admitted. For once he was glad that Triton manage to drill some knowledge of navigating into his head while he was still on the Red Force, it at least won't get them lost until they find an actual navigator. "We'll have to find one soon after we find Zoro."

 _Later_

Shell's Town was a small harbor town that had a marine base stationed in it. The three of them made it to port and Luffy immediately jumped off while the other two took their time.

"Luffy-san I ask to reconsider this! Are you sure you want someone like him in your crew?" Coby tried to reason once again.

"I haven't even met him yet, maybe he's a nice guy." Luffy was sure of it.

"He was captured by the marines! He's a bad guy!" Coby shouted.

"I'm sure Zoro will be just pleasant to be around." Gian said "besides if he tries anything we can take him."

The second that name was mentioned made every one near the trio feel uneasy, something that was not missed by them.

"Seems like the name is not very popular around here." Gian commented. Something was not right here, he can feel it.

"Anyway we should head to the marine base. You do want to be a marine right Coby?"

"The base here is run by Captain Morgan right? I don't know if I'm ready for this." Coby admitted

Just like earlier, when Morgan's name was mentioned everybody around the trio gained a fearful expression. Gian frowned at this; something was definitely not right here, and Coby can see it too.

"This town is so funny!" apparently somebody wasn't able to catch on…

"That's weird, why would the people here be afraid of a marine captain?" Coby wondered "This really worries me…"

"Maybe they're just like that." Luffy suggested.

"I don't think so, it's more likely that Morgan doesn't have a good reputation with these people." Gian mentioned.

"That can't be! Aren't the marines supposed to be protecting people? Why would they be frightened?" Coby argued

"Because Morgan has a position of power, and just as easily can power protect power can also corrupt." Gian retorted solemnly "The world isn't as rosy as you think it is Coby, there's no black and white, only lots of grey everywhere you go." With that he continued walking, leaving the pink haired boy to ponder over his words.

* * *

 _Moments later…_

The marine base in Shells Town was a blue cylinder shaped building surrounded by a ring of wall. The trio reached the gates of the marine base and Coby's heart was soaring as his dream might finally come true! He sure will miss Luffy and Gian though, in the short time they've been together they've helped in so much and he really do call them his friends.

"Well this is it. Luffy-san, Gian-san I think this is where we part ways." Coby addressed the two of them but the other two were not paying attention.

"-even though it wasn't a very long time I've- huh?" only then did the pink haired boy realize that the two people he meant this to were not listening. He looked around and saw them looking over the wall.

"Where is that demon?" Luffy wondered as he searched the courtyard for the man he came to find.

"I would love to help you look, but you're kind of taking up the whole view…" Gian grumbled. He was reduced to holding him up while he looked around. Eventually Gian just let him hang on to the wall while he took his place beside him.

"Maybe they put him somewhere else? There isn't much reason to put a guy like that out in the open." Coby suggested

"Never mind there he is!" Gian pointed.

The three peeked over the wall to see a figure tied to a post. " _Black bandana… green sash… that's Roronoa Zoro!"_ Coby thought with fear running through him.

"If we untie him he can escape!" Luffy pointed out. That statement made Coby realize what they were doing. "Don't be ridiculous! You can't release someone like that! He'll kill us all!" he yelled.

"He can try." Gian stated simply. Potential new nakama or not, he wasn't letting anyone lay a finger on his new friends.

"We can handle it." Luffy assured him. Coby only gulped in response.

"Hey… you three" a voice caught all their attention; it was Roronoa Zoro addressing them. "You're really annoying, get lost." Zoro growled at them. Coby froze the voice. "Luffy-san if you recruit him it will be the end of you!" he tried once again to talk them out of it.

Just then a cute little girl with brown hair tied up into pigtails walked up to the wall with a ladder. She signaled the trio to keep quiet before climbing up the ladder and lowering a rope to climb down to the other side. Coby realized in horror at what's going on.

"Luffy-san, you have to stop her! That's so dangerous she's going to get killed!" he urged.

"But he's tied up." Gian pointed out. "Quit worrying and watch what happens, we can step in if trouble starts."

"What do you want, kid?" Zoro eyed the girl as she walked up to him. The girl smiled as she unwrapped a package she was carrying, revealing a bundle of rice balls.

"I made you some onigiri! You must be hungry right now! This is my first time making them, I hope you like it!" the girl said

"You're gonna get yourself killed, get lost!" Zoro snapped back. He was touched by the girl's actions, but he couldn't risk her getting into trouble because of him.

"But-"

"I said I'm not hungry! Now beat it or else I'll beat you up!"

"My! My! You shouldn't be bullying little kids there Roronoa Zoro!" a new voice gathered the attention of everyone present.

3 more people showed up to the scene. Two of them were regular marine soldiers, but the third person is a boy had blond hair wore an expensive looking purple suit. The top of his head was wider than the rest and the boy wore a cocky smile on his face. He and Zoro clearly shared some history as the swordsman glared the minute he saw him.

"Oh good the marines are here! They'll save her!" Coby was relieved.

Gian only frowned; there's more to this situation than it seemed.

"Oooh! Those look tasty!" the blond boy smirked and took a bite one of the onigiri that the girl made, ignoring her protests. His facial expression soon turned into one of disgust and he spat them out "This is disgusting! It's too sweet! You're supposed to make onigiri with salt! SALT!"

"B-but I thought… they'd taste better with sugar…" the little girl was on the verge of tears at the display. Across from them Gian had to almost grip the wall until his fingers dug in to stop himself from launching at the boy.

"These are completely inedible!" the boy screamed and threw the rice balls into the ground and began stomping on them.

"No! Stop it! You're ruining them!" the little girl cried out.

"What a horrible person!" Coby whispered.

"I worked so hard to make these…" the girl cried.

"Oh shut up! Did you not read the sign?" the boy retorted and whipped out a sheet of paper. "Anyone who helps the criminal will be executed! And it is signed by my father, Captain Morgan!" it was clear that this person lived entirely on his dad's namesake.

"YOU! Toss that girl out!" the boy commanded one of the marines like a spoiled child.

"But she's just a kid-" the soldier argued.

"Are you disobeying me?! I'll tell my father!"

The marine soldier obliged reluctantly and walked the little girl out towards the wall. At this point both Coby and Luffy were both sweating anxiously at the increasing angry Gian and the raging aura that they can feel emitting from him. His normally yellow eyes had turned a shade of red.

The little girl struggled the whole way. Right before the marine was about to toss her over the way he whispered "I'm sorry…" and then threw her over, and she would've fell on the other side if Luffy hadn't stretched an arm out to catch her. Gian immediately rushed over to check if she's alright.

 _With Zoro_

"You bastard…" if looks could kill then Zoro would've launched thousands of daggers at the blond now.

"You're certainly stubborn." The blond brat leered at the tied up swordsman. "I can't believe you're still alive."

"I'll live an entire month! I only have 10 days to go Helmeppo!"

"That is _if_ you can live that long." The boy now known as Helmeppo laughed as he walked away.

Zoro grunted and then saw two other people walked up to him with the pink haired one nowhere to be seen, having been left behind the wall. "You guys are still here?" he addressed Luffy and Gian.

"Being publically humiliated like this… are you really that strong?" Luffy asked

"Mind your own business!" Zoro snapped

"I would've escaped in 3 days!" Luffy said.

"I would've done it in a minute." Gian blurted out. Two pairs of eyes landed on him. "What? Ropes can't hold me very well."

"I'm different from you." Zoro said defiantly "I'll show them, I'll survive!"

"He was right, you are a stubborn guy." Luffy commented; both he and Gian were impressed by how determine the swordsman was. They turned to leave when they heard him shout again. "Wait a second!"

The two turned back to see Zoro gesturing to the now crushed rice balls with his head. "Can you… give those to me?"

"You want to eat that? But it's all muddy and mushed now." Luffy frowned.

"Shut up and give it to me!" Zoro snapped. Luffy nodded and Gian picked up the now soiled ball of rice

"That's what she said." Gian chuckled at his own lame joke **(G: It is NOT lame!)** and tossed the ball into Zoro's mouth "Don't say we didn't warn you if you come down with something."

The swordsman chewed the ball of rice ravenously, having some difficulty swallowing due to the mud. Eventually he managed to force them down. "Told you so." Luffy said when he saw him coughing out remains of dirt.

"When you see that girl again… tell her that it was delicious." Zoro requested. Luffy and Gian smiled at that before taking their leave.

 _Later_

The three were now sitting in the restaurant that is owned by the girl's mother. The little girl, who we now know as Rika, was overjoyed to hear that Zoro had enjoyed her food. "He ate the whole thing!" Gian recalled with a grin, much to the little girl's delight.

"Is Zoro really such a bad person?" Coby asked.

"He's not! He only got punished because of us!" Rika said adamantly. This made everybody at the table frown.

"What do you mean by that?" Gian asked and Rika began to recount what happened leading up to today.

 **Flashback:**

" _Move it everybody! Make way for my pet!" the shrill voice of Helmeppo coursed through the town as a wolf snarled at everybody by his side "anyone who doesn't obey will be executed!" People were struggling to get out the way as soon as possible. The boy and his "pet" went into Rika's family restaurant and the wolf immediately went over to a customer's table and devoured everything, scaring everyone in the process_.

" _Stop it! You mean thing!" Rika cried out as she hit the wolf with a broom._

" _You got a problem with my pet?!" Helmeppo demanded. He was the son of Captain Morgan, and he wasn't afraid to throw his daddy's name around._

" _Rika please you'll get into trouble!" Rika's mother worriedly tried to persuade her daughter._

 _Then the wolf pounced at the little girl as she let out a scream. Before any damage can be done however, someone had cut the wolf down._

" _Who did this to my pet?!" Helmeppo screamed before he saw who it was. "YOU! How dare you do this to my pet?!"_

 _The man then lifted his head and Helmeppo was shocked at who it was. "Y-you're 'Pirate Hunter'_

 _Roronoa Zoro! Why is the 'Pirate Hunter' going against the marines?"_

" _You're loud, shut up and let me eat in peace." Zoro retorted. This naturally did not sit well with the spoiled brat and he swung the sword he's carrying in order to teach him his place. Zoro simply kicked the sword out of his head and delivered a punch to the boy's face. "You're getting on my nerves… your pet as well." the swordsman growled as he unsheathed his own sword and pointed at the boy's neck. Helmeppo screamed but he had one last trick up his sleeve._

" _Don't you understand? If my dad finds out about this he will have everybody present executed!" Zoro paused at that; he didn't wish to get anyone else involved with whatever he does._

" _How about we make a deal? We tie you up for one month and in return they get off scotch-free!" Helmeppo offered._

" _One month is it?" Zoro pondered._

" _Yep! One month!" Helmeppo said, though his sinister grin revealed something else. Zoro nodded and let his swords drop to the floor."_

 **Flashback end**

"It's been 3 weeks since then, everyday Helmeppo goes to the courtyard. He keeps punching and kicking him while he's tied up! He's being so unfair!" Rika sniffed as she finished her story.

"So that's how it happened…" Coby realized. He had always believed the marines to be a symbol of justice, but what they did here…

The door suddenly barged open and in stepped none other than the spoiled Helmeppo himself, backed up by 2 marines. "I'm HUNGRY! Hurry up and bring the food and drink!"

As the boy ate he revealed a secret to everybody "I'm getting tired of waiting, so I decided to execute Zoro tomorrow! Hope you all look forward to it!" the boy laughed at his own plan.

Gian let out a growl and was about to stand up but he never got the chance, because just then Luffy did exactly that, and when he reached him he arched back his arm and punched the brat right in the face. Helmeppo let out a scream of pain as he hit his head on the wall of the restaurant.

"You… You HIT ME?!"

"Luffy-san no! If you hit him we'll get in trouble with the marines!" Coby tried to pacify the situation.

"He's scum!" was all Luffy let out.

"Y-you won't get away with this! I'll tell my father and he'll have you executed?" Helmeppo threatened. He then let out a yell of surprise and fear as he felt himself being lifted by the collar. He then looked eye to eye with none other than Gian, the 23 year old's yellow sclera were now a shade of amber red and deep in his throat sounded growls that were more akin to a reptile's than a human.

"Or you can stop hiding behind other people and do it yourself, but if you choose that route I will hold nothing back to make you experience pain like you've never known." Helmeppo let out a sound that sounded more like a pig squeal when he heard that.

"Now I'm gonna let you down, and you have 2 seconds to scram before I break every bone in your body, understand?" Helmeppo nodded so fast it looked like his head was trying to break itself away from his neck. Gian then set the boy down roughly and it seemed more like half a second before the brat booked it from the restaurant with his two bodyguards. Gian then sat back down and shrugged before looking at the stunned crowd (minus Luffy of course).

"Sorry everybody, it's that time of the month." He chuckled at that.

"Gian-san, that could've gotten you into a lot of trouble…." Coby broke out of his stupor.

"Then let it come, that brat had it coming to him. One should never hide behind other people when they're trying to do something." Luffy grinned at this before making his declaration.

"I decided! I am going to make Zoro my nakama!"

"As if you didn't already decide that earlier! But yeah, he'll be a great person to hang around with!" Gian agreed.

With that the two rookie pirates walked out towards their newest crewmember while their potential marine friend slowly followed behind.

 **A/N: That ends Shells Town part 1, next chapter should be everything else. There should be one more update before the end of next week, because after that I have finals the entire week until after the 21** **st** **of December, so after chapter 5 there won't be any updates until my finals are done. That being said, I'm glad people are enjoying this! I'll also be posting Gian's character information in my profile if people want to read it. It should be up soon. Stay tuned for the next!**

 **Remember to review!**


	5. New Nakama

**Chapter 5 everybody, here it is you already know how it's gonna go.**

 **One Piece and Godzilla are the property of Eiichiro Oda and Toho Co. LTD respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs and original locations, abilities, etc**

 _At the marine base_

Through a window overlooking the small town, a tall marine officer looked on with satisfaction while sitting in a chair. The man was large and muscular, with shaven blond hair and a cast-iron jaw. He is wearing a blue marine uniform for those of the Captain rank, as well as a sleeveless black shirt underneath it. The most prominent feature was his right hand; where it should be has been replaced by the blade of an axe. This man was Captain Morgan, the base commander here and the source of the town's troubles.

The man exhaled and turned towards a group of marines. "I am… Great!" he exclaimed.

"Indeed you are, Captain Morgan Sir!" One of the marines replied quickly.

"But lately there hasn't been much tribute to me." Morgan said again.

"Well… lately people haven't been getting enough income…" another marine explained.

"The problem is that the people do not have enough admiration for me, would you not agree?" Morgan concluded while smoking a cigar, before anyone else can respond, the door barged open and Helmeppo stepped in, clutching a bruised cheek. "Father!" he shouted

"Hmmm? What is it?"

"There's some people that I need you to kill immediately!"

 _Back with Zoro_

" _You're weak Zoro, Nothing ever changes."_

 _Zoro had just lost a duel yet again with the black haired girl, even with Zoro's use of two training swords as opposed to her one. They were evenly matched in the beginning, but soon the girl was able to break past his defenses._

" _I made a promise, I won't die in a place like this!" he vowed as the girl smiled._

Zoro woke up with a start as he remembered his past, the reason he'd come out here in the first place. He then noticed a certain straw hat person standing in front of him, and his crewmate a few feet away. "You two again? Don't you have anything better to do?"

"I'm going to untie you know, then you can become my nakama." Luffy said

"…What?"

"I'm looking for people to join my crew, I already have Gian as one, and now you as well so that's two people." Luffy said, across from them Gian gave a wave.

"I refuse. I hunt pirates, why would I become one?" Zoro was getting annoyed at this.

"What's wrong with being a pirate?" Luffy inquired.

"Pirates are scum! Why would anyone want to be one?" Zoro can hear the other crewmember, Gian or something like that, make a mock heart attack gesture and saying "You wound me." He glared at both of them; this kid with the straw hat certainly doesn't know when to quit…

"But you're already an evil pirate hunter so that doesn't matter right?" Luffy brought up.

"Tch, I don't regret anything that I've done! I don't care what society thinks of me. I will survive!" Zoro said with determination. This made the other two grin again.

"It's like that huh? But I already decided that you're going to be my nakama!" Luffy said dismissively.

"You can't make decisions like that!" Zoro growled.

"Dude, don't even fight it you're stuck with us the moment he said so." Gian quipped

"You use a sword, right?" Luffy asked, ignoring the previous outburst.

"Yes, but that stupid son took them when they tied me up."

"Alright, we'll get the swords back for you and then you'll join my crew." Luffy concluded.

"Did you not hear me?! I said I'm not joining you!" Zoro shouted.

"One of us… One of us…" Gian moved his hands in circles while grinning "Seriously though, I don't think you'll be able to change his mind even if you tried, so just accept it, we'll have fun together I'm sure."

Luffy then stretched his arms to prepare himself "LET'S GO GIAN! **Gomu-Gomu no… Rocket!"**

"Wait, that's how we're- AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-" Gian was cut off as Luffy shot off and grabbed onto him in the process. The two youths then shot towards the marine base while airborne.

"What's with those people?! Are they actually going to attack the marine base?!" Zoro asked bewildered.

 _Back at the marine base_

At the top of the base, the marines were working on another project of theirs: a statue of Morgan! Said commander was currently commanding his subordinates to straighten the stone statue out properly.

"Father! Why are you not helping me get my revenge! That straw hat boy hit me in the face and the rogue threatened my life! Even you wouldn't hit me!" Helmeppo shouted. This made Morgan stop what he was doing.

"Do you not why I've never hit you before?" Morgan asked, his tone was calm, almost chilling, and Helmeppo felt uncertainty creep up his spine.

"B-Be-because I am your son that you love?" Morgan smirked, before delivering a punch to the boy's face, shocking him.

"It's because you're a worthless son that's NOT EVEN WORTH HITTING!" Morgan shouted.

"You can use my status, but don't forget who the great one is here! It is me! 'Ax-hand' Morgan!" The marine captain informed his son.

"It seems that there was an intruder on the execution grounds." Morgan changed the subject.

"Yeah… the little girl… I already dealt with her."

"So you killed her then?"

Helmeppo was horrified at this "N-No! She's just a little girl! She doesn't even know what she's doing!" even with his attitude, Helmeppo at least have some morals left in him. The same did not go for Morgan however…

"You!" Morgan barked at one of the marines, "Go into town and finish the job! All those who oppose me will die!"

"Wha? But she's just a child! I can't do that!" the marine protested.

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO GO AGAINST MY ORDERS! I am the captain here! And my rank exceeds yours! When I tell you to kill her, you kill her!" Morgan shouted.

"I-I can't!" The marine refused once more. Morgan snarled at this, he raised his arm and brought the axe blade down on the side of the marine, killing him. A horrified yell rose through the remaining marines as they saw rushed their fallen commander.

"Y-You didn't have to do that!" Helmeppo screamed.

"To teach people to respect me, I will go into town myself! With this arm I rose to the rank of Captain, and it shows that I am the greatest here! GREAT MEN DO NOT MAKE MISTAKES! DO YOU NOT AGREE?!" Morgan snarled.

"Y-yes captain!" The remaining marines shouted out, not wanting to end up like the commander

"I will deal with that kid later, first I need to see this." He looked at his statue lying on the ground. "It took months but it is finally completed! The symbol of my greatness! Now raise it on the roof!"

 _Meanwhile_

"Where is everybody?" Luffy pondered while looking for a way in.

"Probably taking a nap or something?" Gian guessed "then again I don't know how the marines do things so don't take my word on it."

The two then heard noise at the top of the building.

"Never mind, there they are"

What they saw was a statue being erected slowly, it was clearly very heavy as it barely rose. As the marines were pulling the statue up, a part of it scraped against the building. This did not go unnoticed by Morgan.

"Did you scratch it?!" he demanded.

Luffy stretched up his arms " **Gomu-Gomu no… Rocket!"** he launched upwards, taking Gian in the process.

"Here we go again…" Gian sighed as he was carried by the momentum.

"We-we're sorry captain!" The marine pleaded, "We tried to be careful, but we were careless-"

"This statue is the symbol of my greatness! And now you damaged it! Damaging it shows that you don't respect me! And that is treason against me!"

They did not notice two people flying towards the statue.

"Oh no! I'm going too fast!" Luffy shouted

"What did you think was going to happen?!" Gian facefaulted.

The two of them managed to grab onto some of the ropes pulling the statue and slow them down. This allowed them to land safely. The statue, on the other hand, was not so lucky. The ropes were not enough to support it and it fell and broke into two.

Every marine was dumbfounded at what just happened. The two then looked at the now broken statue.

"Oh… oops, I'm sorry" Luffy quipped.

"Look on the bright side, with a bit of convincing you can make people think its art!" Gian said with a sheepish grin.

"…GET THEM! I WILL KILL THEM MYSELF!" Morgan roared.

"That's the guy that punched me and the one that wanted to beat me at the restaurant!" Helmeppo recognized them as well.

The marines charged Luffy and Gian, but the two of them easily avoided them and Luffy ran into the base. "We need you for something." Gian retorted as he grabbed a screaming Helmeppo and dragged him after Luffy.

"After them! Don't let them escape!" Morgan shouted. Another marine then reported that someone had snuck into the execution gounds. Morgan turned and saw a certain pink haired boy running to the tied up Zoro.

"I am surrounded by TRAITORS!" he roared.

* * *

 _With Luffy and Gian_

"Where's Zoro's sword?" Luffy demanded as the 3 of them ran down corridors.

"Talk, or I'll make due of my promise earlier." Gian clenched his fist.

"I'll tell you! Just-ah- stop dragging-ow- me!" the blond boy whimpered.

"It's in my room, we passed it earlier…" Helmeppo let out after they stopped.

"Well, that could've been helpful earlier." Gian sighed. He and Luffy then turned around only to be faced with guns.

"Come on boys, be nice…." Gian said. When the marines didn't budge he simply shrugged and powered up his boots and leg guards. He steadied himself for a moment before launching himself at the group, barreling through them before they can even pull the trigger. Luffy grinned at this while Helmeppo was dismayed at how his rescuers have been taken out so easily.

"Now" Gian said as he dusted himself off "let's go find that sword."

 _Outside_

"What are you doing? You're going to get killed!" Zoro snapped at the pink haired boy who is currently trying to undo the knots. What was he thinking? Just showing up like this out of the blue! It wasn't enough that 2 other people just came by earlier…

"Helmeppo isn't going to keep his promise! He plans to have you executed tomorrow! That's why Luffy-san punched him. And that's why he and Gian-san are trying to get your sword back!" Coby shouted back. He then grimaced as another thought popped up "These marines… I can't let them do what they please! I want to be a real marine! Not like them!"

Zoro's eyes widen at this. He had a feeling the authorities in this area could not be trusted, but to think they'd actually sink this low!

"Luffy-san and Gian-san are being chased by marines as we speak! They'll get you your sword back!" Coby said again. Zoro was deep in thought at that.

"Stop right there! For committing treason against me, you are all sentenced to death!" The shout roused the two from their conversation to see Morgan standing before them, flanked by a firing squad of Marines.

The two can only gulp

 _Back with Luffy and Gian_

"This is it right?" Luffy asked as they reached Helmeppo's room. 3 swords were katanas leaning against the wall. The room was… special to say the least.

"One of those swords might be Zoro's" Gian offered his two cents.

"But there's 3 of them." Luffy wondered "Which one is his?" Helmeppo did not answer as he was now unconscious.

"I'm guessing the one on the leeeeftttt?" Gian had no idea. It was then he took a peek out the window and saw what was going on.

"Never mind that, just take them all and we'll have him decide. Coby and Zoro are in trouble!" Luffy immediately understood and began to charge up another Gomu-Gomu no rocket. Gian decided to wisely power up his leg guards and jump out instead of getting a ride this time.

 _Back with Zoro and Coby_

"Oh no!" Coby cried out in horror as the marines took aim.

"You guys sure did some interesting things, are you two, the straw hat boy, and that roguish-looking one trying to start a revolution against me?" Morgan demanded.

"TAKE AIM!" Morgan howled, and the marines did as instructed. Coby was scared out of his mind, while Zoro only had one thing going through his head at the moment.

" _No! I can't die here!"_ the swordsman mentally snapped at himself. Memories of a certain girl filled his head again, and the vow he made…

" _You're still weak Zoro, nothing changes"_ those words, even now they fill his head. He was not going to die here!

"FIRE!"

The marines all shot their rifles at once, the line of bullets screamed towards to two males. Zoro stared defiantly at the incoming bullets; if he truly is to die here, then he will do so with his head up. It was at this moment a straw hat figure landed in front of them and intercepted all the bullets.

"Luffy-san!" Coby cried out in relief.

The bullets struck the straw hat boy, but no blood could be seen. Instead, the force of the bullets happened to stretch the parts they hit out!

"What?!" Morgan cried out. It was then he heard another voice. "That won't work you know!"

Morgan raised his head only to see another figure shooting towards him with his fist cocked back, covered in some sort of blue fire. He didn't have the opportunity to block when the fist smashed into his face and knocked him back. As some marines rushed to their captain, Gian dusted himself off and nodded to the other 3. Luffy grinned back and sent the caught bullets back at the remaining marines. The two gave each other a high five.

"No way! Those two just took out half of us in an instant…" One of the marines mumbled in disbelief.

"I told you we were strong!" Luffy said.

"You two… Who the hell are you guys?" Zoro wondered.

"You can call me Gian, I'm no one special really just someone who happened to be with the right crowd." Gian grinned; he'll leave the big introduction to his captain.

"Shishishi! I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the one who is going to become Pirate King!" The straw hat boy informed him.

"Pirate King?! Do you know what you're saying?!" Zoro asked, flabbergasted.

"The Pirate King is the king of pirates, isn't it?" Luffy told him.

"I don't think that's what he meant." Gian sighed, then smiled "I do know that my captain meant every word though!"

"I didn't believe it either, but Luffy-san is completely serious! If he said he can do it he can!" Coby said seriously.

Luffy then brought the 3 swords found at the base to Zoro "Here you are! We didn't know which one is yours so we took them all." Gian quipped a light-hearted "Happy Birthday!" from the sidelines.

"All of them are mine, I use a three-sword style." Zoro informed them.

"…Well that confirms that!" Gian mumbled. Seriously, who would've saw that coming?

"Well you have them now! Now, you can get killed by the marines or you can come with me." Luffy said.

"Business 101, playa!" Gian chuckled.

"Heh, you're the son of the Devil you know that?" Zoro smirked "But I'd rather become a pirate than die here!"

"YAY! I got a new crewmember!" Luffy cheered. Gian then tapped him on the shoulders and pointed him to the marines, with their now pissed off captain getting up from the ground. Luffy nodded and proceeded to untie the green-haired swordsman.

"H-how did our bullets not do a thing?" one marine whispered fearfully.

"He has a Devil Fruit… No doubt about it." That voice belonged to Morgan, who now sported a slightly singed cheek, courtesy of a certain black-haired 23 year old.

"A Devil Fruit?" another marine questioned.

"Yes, cursed fruit that gives its consumer extraordinary power! Creating fires, creating tsunamis, anything is possible there's too many rumors to know what is real! The secret lies in the Grand Line, and that straw-hat boy must've eaten one!" Morgan replied

" _Come to think of it, that punch from the punk was ablaze with blue flames… If he has a Devil Fruit as well…"_ Morgan wondered.

"Are you done with the ropes yet Luffy?" Gian asked.

"I'm trying! They're too tight!" Luffy answered back.

" _Well at least they're professional about it."_ Gian thought as he went over to the post. "Here I'll do it."

Gian's nails grew sharper and he lifted his hand to deliver a chop to the post. The hand swung down, cutting through the rope with ease, Zoro nodded his thanks then drew all three swords. Two of them were in each of his hands while the third one he grasped in his mouth. It was just in time too, for the marines had gotten over their shock and now rushed the quartet with swords drawn.

The blades clashed with a "Clang" and Zoro was easily able to stop them in their tracks. Morgan's eye's widened at the display of strength, while Luffy, Gian and Coby were all impressed at the feat.

"Make one move, and I'll cut you all into pieces." Zoro threatened. This was more than enough to make most of the marines piss themselves.

"I'll make one thing clear, I'll join your crew but if either one of you get in the way of my dream I'll kill you." Zoro said again.

"Dream?" Luffy asked.

"I will become the world's greatest swordsman! And nothing will get in the way of that! Understood?" Zoro proclaimed.

"The world's greatest swordsman? That great! As the future Pirate King's nakama I wouldn't expect anything less!" Luffy complimented.

"To do that you're going to have to… Skrehahaha, it seems that it's my destiny to hang around ambitious people these days! You and I are gonna get along just fine!" Gian grinned; his new friends certainly are something!

Zoro grinned at this. "Yes, it won't matter whether I'm a demon or a saint, my name will be heard throughout the entire world!"

In the midst of their proclamations, the 3 had completely ignored Morgan, who was growing increasingly angry. "What are you doing you fools?! Execute them!" He roared to his subordinates.

"Zoro! Gian! Duck!" Luffy shouted. The two saw what was coming and did as told. As they did, Luffy's leg stretched out and prepared an attack. " **Gomu-Gomu no… Whip!"** he shouted as the stretched out foot caught all the advancing marines, sending them flying backwards.

"Amazing!" Coby looked on in awe.

"Just what are you?" Zoro was equally impressed.

"I ate the Gomu-Gomu no mi!" Luffy told Zoro about his Devil Fruit.

"Gomu-Gomu no mi?" Zoro asked again; he never seen any Devil Fruit users in his bounty hunting days, so coming across a real one was quite surprising.

"So it's true…" Morgan confirmed. He then glared at the soldiers, who by now were trembling.

"C-captain… what are we going to do?" one of the marines asked fearfully.

"We can't beat these guys!" Another shouted. Morgan grew angry at this.

"…Whoever said that, shoot yourself in the head." Morgan growled coldy. "I have no use for useless soldiers like you. That's an order."

3 marines gulped, and hesitantly raised pistols to their heads. This did not go unnoticed by the 4.

"What is with those soldiers…?" Zoro wondered. Luffy and Gian however heard the whole thing, and Luffy charged at Morgan.

"Captain…" Gian said, his voice hard, "Make sure you kick his ass." He would love nothing better than to do it himself, but his captain would be more than enough.

"Got it." Luffy responded, before launching himself at the marine captain. "If you have the guts, execute me!" he threw a punch at the marine captain, but was blocked by the flat side of the axe hand.

"Yeah! Beat those marines!" Coby cheered on the sidelines.

* * *

Gian on the other hand chose to stop the marines that were advancing on him instead. " _I can just beat them up one by one, but I think I'll use that technique instead. It'll give the kids a show as well."_ he frowned at the thought; it was rather much of a waste to use it on something like this, not to mention if he did it wrong he could accidently kill the opposing side. But he really didn't want to bother with these people anymore.

Gian closed his eyes and focused, and while he did so his face and back began to change. His teeth grew sharper and small bone-like material were poking out of his back and some scales also appeared on his face and arms.

The fins on his back flashed blue for a split second as blue light gathered at the back of his throat. The marines noticed this and paused for a second, their eyes fearful. Gian roared the attack as he finished charging.

" **Atom ray!"**

A blue beam of heat and light show out of his mouth, striking the ground in front of the marines. The resulting shockwave knocked them on their butt many feet away and the explosion caught the attention of the remaining four big people. The marines were now desperately scrambling away from the monstrous youth as his features returned to normal.

"Skrehahaha! Talk about a _fiery_ finale!" he commented and chuckled at the lame pun he made ( **G: oh can it).** There was now a smoldering hole a few feet in front of him.

"What was that?!" a marine choked out.

"Is he even human?!" another shuddered.

"Another Devil Fruit user…" Morgan was shocked.

"What kind of people did I just get myself involved with?" Zoro was quite surprised as well.

"Gian-san…" Coby was both surprised and slightly terrified. He had no idea that the laid back man had contained such power!

"SUGOI!" Luffy on the other hand was simply impressed, his eyes had a shine to them.

"Hooo! Haven't done that in a while! Luffy you're fine on your own right?" Gian exhaled; it wasn't a complete Partial Transformation, but it still had the destructiveness behind it. His captain should have the rest taken care of soon.

"Yeah, I got this!" Luffy responded before turning back to Morgan, who had also snapped out of his stupor. The marine captain then took off his coat.

"A lowly civilian like you stands no chance against someone like me! For I am the marine captain 'Ax Hand' Morgan!" he shouted as he brought the ax down. "DIE!"

Luffy simply dodged the attack. Morgan swung again but it was avoided as well. Another swing, same result except this time Luffy delivered a kick of his own to his face. The blow knocked the captain back, barely managing to stay upright.

The marines were shocked how one-sided this fight was becoming. Gian on the other hand simply smirked; he had no doubt that his captain would win.

Morgan was getting increasingly frustrated as he swung again. Luffy jumped away once more before he delivered another kick, knocking the captain down again. This time however, Luffy was on him.

"Some kind of Marine you are! Destroying Coby's dream like that!" he snapped before preparing to punch the marine captain.

"STRAW HAT, WAIT!" a shout alerted everybody.

Luffy punched him anyways

"You idiot! I told you to wait!" the voice belong to Helmeppo, who was shown pointing a gun at Coby!

"If you don't want this guy to die then don't move!" the blond threatened "If anyone moves, I'll shoot!"

"Oh you got to be kidding me!" Gian growled.

Coby was trembling, but he put on a brave face "Don't worry about me Luffy-san! I don't want to get in your way! I'm not afraid of death!" making Luffy smile.

"Stupid son, Coby isn't afraid of death!" Luffy declared as he cocked his fist back.

"Hey! I told you not to move or I'll shoot!" Helmeppo screamed. It was then that Coby saw the large shape rising behind Luffy.

"Luffy-san behind you!" Coby shouted

"Daddy! Hurry!" Helmeppo shouted.

Morgan staggered up, his ax-hand poised to strike the unknowing boy. "I am… The great marine Captain 'Ax-Hand' Morgan!" the man shouted as the ax stuck. Unfortunately for him, it would never be able to reach its mark, as none other than Roronoa Zoro himself dash forward with his swords stretched out, slashing a wide cut across the marine captain's chest. This was more than enough to take him down for real this time.

"Leave it to me… Captain." Zoro said with one of the swords still in his mouth.

At the same time Helmeppo was about to pull the tigger he heard a snapping sound. He turned around and screamed in fear as he found Gian crushing the gun barrel with one hand with a hard glare in his eyes. The brat whimpered and turned around again only to be met with a fist to the face, knocking him out once again.

"Phew, I'd thought they never shut up! I'm serious, these two make Kanye West seem like a modest person!" Gian said to no one in particular.

"…Who?" Zoro and Coby both raised an eyebrow at that.

"…Never mind" Gian muttered; even he didn't know where he got that from.

"They just defeated Captain Morgan…" The marines at this point were wide-eyed at what has happened. No one has ever had the strength to defeat their Captain, yet these strange people were able to do it rather easily!

"If you guys still want to arrest us, go for it." Zoro said in a low voice, a hand on one of his swords. Gian flexed and held his arms wide at this too.

The marines gulped and began putting their weapons down one by one. Then, in a collective force, they began cheering!

"Huh? Their captain was defeated yet they're cheering?" Luffy was confused.

"Maybe I shouldn't have used the **Atom beam…** " Gian muttered. He didn't mean to give them brain damage!

"It's not that!" Coby on the other hand understood exactly what's going on "Everybody was afraid of Captain Morgan to the point where they'd die if they don't listen to him!"

"Oh, that makes sense." Gian agreed.

Zoro suddenly collapsed to the ground much to the surprise of his friends, they rushed over to see if he was injured, and that's when they heard it.

"I'm… hungry…"

"That's what happens when you don't eat for almost a month, Skrehahaha." Gian grinned.

 _Later_

The four friends were at none other than Rika's mother's restaurant, currently wolfing down food while the rest of the villagers looked on in amusement.

"Ahhh I'm full! Not eating for 3 weeks made me starved!" Zoro let out a satisfied sigh. He then looked with half-lidded eyes at the two other ravenous men at the table. "How are you two eating so much?"

"Sorry, using a big technique like the **Atom Beam** burns up a lot of my energy, have to refuel… I normally don't eat this much!" Gian mumbled, busy stuffing his face and looked at his captain "And he's just like that."

"Sorry, I ate a lot too…" Coby said slightly embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it, you guys saved the town after all!" Rika's mother smiled.

"Onii-san you were really strong back there!" Rika told Luffy.

"Yeah and I'll become even stronger!"

"That reminds me, what are we going to do next?" Zoro asked.

"We're heading for the Grand Line!" Luffy declared as if it were the simplest thing in the world

"That's suicide!" Coby Shouted "You can't survive with just 3 people! The world's strongest pirates are gathered there!"

"If we're going after One Piece ( **G: ROLL- mfffpfffmmmm)(KP:DO NOT)(G:** **spoilsport…)** , we're going to have to go there eventually." Zoro said

"We actually do need more people before we head there though." Gian agreed, remembering the time the trade ship went through the Grand Line to reach East Blue. They had been frequently targeted by pirates, and if it weren't for the sailors on that ship being tough in their own right they would've never made it.

"See? Gian-san understands!"

"But what are you so worried about? It's not like you're coming with us." Gian said again.

"Is worrying about my friends so wrong?" Coby's face became sadder as he said that. "Even though we just met, we _are_ friends right?"

"Yup! Even when we go our separate ways we'll still be friends!" Luffy said confidently.

"You guys are the first ones to stand up for me, I never had any friends growing up…" Coby let out a smile. "But thanks to you guys, I learned to fight for my dream! I decided, I will become a marine!"

"And that's why we're heading to the Grand Line." And Luffy brought the conversation back to that.

"Yup" Zoro agreed.

"Sounds about right" Gian agreed as well.

"No! What I meant is that you guys are being too reckless…" Coby face faulted.

"you should worry about yourself first." Zoro said "Even though it was against your will you still helped pirates. Don't underestimate the marine's ability to gather information. If they find out then you won't be able to join." This made Coby downcast; he had forgotten about this fact…

"Excuse me!" A new voice called from the door. The voice belonged to a marine named Commander Ripper. He was wearing the standard marine uniform with rugged features and a black goatee. He had taken over the marine base now that Morgan had been defeated. "I am here to confirm that you guys are pirates, am I correct?"

"Yup, we are pirates and I just got a new nakama." Luffy said bluntly.

"Because you saved our town you have our gratitude, however you guys are still pirates so I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Ripper informed them. "We won't report you to headquarters due to your actions but you must leave immediately." This did not sit well with the townspeople.

"Are you people insane?!" "What is wrong with you marines?" "They just saved us!"

"Well, guess we're leaving. Thanks for the food ma'am." Luffy didn't really care

"Eh, whatever, there isn't much to see in this town anyways." Gian added his own input

Zoro simply followed them.

Coby stood still for a while, slightly sad to see his friends go. He gave a start as he saw Ripper standing in front of him.

"Aren't you with them?" he asked. This made Coby stutter nervously.

"No… I-I'm not with them…" Coby gritted out. He knew he had to do it for his dream, but it still hurt leaving his friends like this!

"Is he telling the truth?" Ripper asked Luffy as they were about to walk out.

"Oh him? I know what he used to do. I think that he used to work for this fat lady pirate." Luffy began answering.

Throughout this Coby was growing increasingly nervous; Luffy was letting out too much information!

" _If they find out about that, they won't let me join the marines!"_ he mentally pleaded.

"Luffy-san… Please don't say anymore!" Coby pleaded but Luffy paid no attention.

"Yeah, and this guy spend two years on board…" It was there that Coby couldn't take it anymore, he marched over and punched the straw hat boy in the face. "SHUT UP! PLEASE!"

"Why you- I'll teach you!" Luffy shot back with punches of his own, grinning as he was doing so.

"STOP THIS AT ONCE!" Ripper shouted to restore order. "From that display it's clear that you're not friends, now please leave immediately!"

"You went overboard." Zoro scolded lightly

"Well at least we know his head isn't _completely_ empty." Gian grinned. The two of them know exactly what just happened.

Coby seemed to have realized it too. " _He did that for me… he did that to make me mad… Even now I still need his help…"_ Coby gulped and strengthened his resolve. He stood up straight and spoke loud and clear.

"Please let me become a marine! I'll do anything! Even if it's chores I'll do them!"

"I am against this, Commander Ripper! We can't let someone whose past is unclear to us join the marines!" another marine soldier spoke "There had been many pirates who joined the marines as spies, we need to check his background to be sure."

"My dream is to be a marine!" Coby shouted with resolve.

Ripper was silent for a while, then he spoke again. "We've lost marines to pirates before, this life isn't an easy one."

"But I will let you join."

"Yes Sir!" Coby shouted with happiness.

 _Meanwhile_

"Well that was a nice experience." Zoro told them as they prepared to sail off

"I hope your acting was on point, the marines would probably see through it" Gian voiced his concern.

"I'm sure Coby can handle it!" Luffy was confident that his friend would be a marine by now.

"Everyone would probably hate us now though" Zoro reminded "It's the life of a criminal."

"Eh, they hate us cause they ain't us" Gian dismissed. Luffy laughed at this.

"…Why would they-"

"They just do." Gian shot him down, and Zoro decided to drop it; it was easier than figuring it out.

"Luffy-san! Zoro-san! Gian-san!" The three pirates turned to see Coby run towards them.

"Thank you for what you did for me! I'll never forget it in my life!" Coby shouted while giving a salute.

"Heh, I've never seen a marine saluting a pirate before." Zoro smirked.

"My little brother is never going to believe this!" Gian laughed

"We'll meet again someday Coby!" Luffy waved back.

And as if it couldn't get any better, the three heard another shout "GROUP SALUTE!"

They saw none other than Commander Ripper standing with the other marines in a line, giving a salute themselves. Luffy gave them a wave

"And I love you Random Citizens!" Gian shouted back.

"…Where do you even think of those words?" Zoro was really confused now.

"It just happens." Was the response

"You have good friends there" Ripper told Coby.

"I do!" Coby sniffed. Tears were flowing as he saw his new friends' boat go further and further into the distance.

"Alright everyone!" Ripper informed everybody "What we did was against the code of the marines! Our punishment is no food for 3 days!"

"Yes Sir!"

 _Meanwhile_

The 3 new nakama all lounged around on the small dinghy.

"Now we're on our way to becoming pirates!" Luffy shouted jubilantly

"It certainly is going to be one hell of an adventure!" Zoro agreed.

Gian simply hummed as he thought of a certain group of people.

" _Shanks-san, Triton-senpai, you guys were right. I really have found nakama, and I really became a pirate."_ he was snapped out of his thoughts as Luffy boldly declared that he will be King of Pirates again.

"Alright! Grand Line here we come!" Luffy shouted.

With that the three nakama sailed off into the distance, onto the destination of their new adventure that had only just begun.

 **A/N: And there! Chapter 5 is complete! Decided to make this longer to make up for the fact that no updates for a week or so. I will begin the new chapter but I probably won't be able to post it until after the 21** **st** **.**

 **Gian's profile is up on my bio if anyone wants to read it, I'll also put up more bios of some of the more important OCs that will be appearing. And to Martyn, your idea has been used! It'll make even more appearances later.**

 **Something I added to Gian's personality is that he likes to make real-world references. However since this is the One Piece universe, nobody including him knows what he's talking about so they often get confused. It's for comical effect only, I'll probably not do it so much if it doesn't work out.**

 **And that's all there to say! Remember to review!**


	6. The Cat Burglar in Orange Town

**Disclaimer: One Piece and Godzilla are under the ownership of Eiichiro Oda and Toho Co. ltd respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, original abilities and original locations.**

 _Somewhere_

3 pirates just finished gathering a rather hefty amount of loot. They had had big grins on their faces as they took in their accomplishment. The amount of treasure was certainly impressive

"Captain Buggy is going to be so proud when we bring him this!" one of the pirates whispered gleefully.

"Yeah! Look at all this treasure! There's no doubt that Captain Buggy won't be mad at us!" another had similar emotions.

The three were broken out of their thoughts when they spotted another small boat heading towards them. When it got closer, they could see an orange haired girl lying weakly inside the boat, along with another large treasure chest.

"It's a girl." They realized

"Hey, what's the matter? You feeling alright?" one pirate asked.

The girl slowly opened her eyes. "Oh! Could it be? I must be dreaming to run into somebody on these seas…" she said with a tired smile. "I don't want to be much of a bother, but do you have any water? I'll give you as much money as you need!" She motioned to the chest.

"Sure we'll help ya, but we need to check out your treasure first." The three of them got onto the other girl's boat and attempted to open the chest. After some time they indeed managed to get it open, but instead of treasure what they found was a stuffed panda doll instead.

"Huh?" The three pirates were dumbfounded until they heard the laughter of the supposedly dehydrated girl.

"If you guys like it so much you can keep it!" the girl taunted while sailing off.

"Hey! You tricked us! Get back here!" the three attempted to give chase.

"Hmm, dark clouds indicate that a cold front is approaching from the south, a storm is coming! Not good to be out here in such a small boat!" The girl murmured and started sailing north. Almost immediately, a gust of wind began to blow and soon after it became a full-blown squall, just like the girl predicted. She managed to get out of the way, the three pirates on the other hand were not so lucky.

"Bye! Thank you for the treasure!" The girl bid the pirates now struggling among the waves. She didn't regret it much; they were pirates after all, and they could potentially harm more people in the future.

With that in mind, the girl sailed off, blissfully ignoring the profanity hurled her way by the waterlogged pirates.

 _Meanwhile_

"Did Shanks ever let you go on adventures with him? Did he ever do anything cool? Was it fun on his ship?" Luffy ecstatically bombarded a certain 23 year old with questions.

"No, we didn't stop much on during the process, I think so but I don't remember, and yes overall it had been a pretty good time except for maybe the times he'd get hungover and we had to drag him back to his cabin." Gian replied them all with a slightly bored tone; his captain had been doing this for the last 10 minutes. It all began because Luffy's straw hat was blown off by accident by the wind which left him quite worried. After Zoro managed to get it back the question was raised to why it was so important to them. Luffy mentioned that Shanks gave him the hat when he was little, and that he made a promise to return it to him once he has a strong crew of his own. This part caught Gian's attention, and he had to confirm if the Shanks he was referring to was the same 'Red Hair' Shanks that saved his life.

Which led to Luffy discovering that his first nakama was a passenger on Shank's pirate ship. And as of right now, the straw hat captain was currently letting loose a stream of excited questions.

"Really, I wasn't much of a crewmate with them, sure we all liked each other but no adventures or any of the good stuff!" Gian answered yet again. Beside them, Zoro chuckled at their antics.

"I still don't understand how the two of you managed to set sail, neither of you have much navigation skills, if any at all." The green-haired swordsman sighed. Luffy had told him their plan is simply drifting around, and while Gian can do some simple map and compass reading it isn't going to help in the long run.

"Says the guy who couldn't find his way home and became a bounty hunter because of it!" Gian shot back.

"Don't say it like that!" Zoro yelled back. He had told them a bit about how he wound up in Shells Town and didn't exactly mention how he got lost in the process, or so he thought. Hearing that was an absolute riot for the other two youths and Gian now has excellent blackmail material. Zoro was really regretting how he mentioned that.

"Seriously, we really need a navigator" he stressed again, and Gian agreed with him.

"But first we need a musician!" Luffy exclaimed.

"THAT CAN WAIT!" the other two said.

"Ahhhhh, I'm hungryyyyy" Luffy's groaned after some time had passed. The three had left Shells Town for quite some time now and all the food they consumed back at the town was long digested by now. The other two looked down slightly embarrassed as their own stomachs started to growl.

"Hey look a bird!" Luffy then pointed up at the sky. The 3 looked up and saw a flying object, indeed a flying bird. The bird seemed much bigger than your average bird; there could be a lot of meat on it. "Let's eat it!"

"Yeah but how are we going to get it down?" Zoro questioned.

"I can shoot it down with an **Atom Beam** " Gian mused "Would cook it in the process as well, killing _two_ birds with one stone that way! Heh heh."

"Yeah, and then you'll be so hungry you'd eat it yourself!" Zoro smirked.

"Well I didn't say it was a perfect plan did I?"

"Don't worry, I'll catch it!" Luffy declared and stretched his arms back. " **Gomu Gomu no… Rocket!"**

The boy shot towards the bird, intent on catching it. No less than a minute later, the other two heard Luffy's cry for help. Turns out that bird indeed had a lot of meat on it, a bit too much. Said boy was now currently caught in its beak.

"Gian…" Zoro muttered.

"Don't tell me, he got himself caught and now the bird is carrying him away isn't it?" Gian deadpanned.

"Yup."

"…YOU IDIOT!" the other two shouted as they rowing after the bird. They were so focused on trying to retrieve their captain that they almost didn't notice 3 other people floating in the water.

"Hey! Stop the boat!" one of the drifters shouted at the incoming vessel. Unfortunately for them the two didn't pay any attention and they almost ran over the 3 castaways. The three pirates managed to latch onto the boat and climb aboard just as it passed over.

"Welcome aboard! Sorry we're kind of in a hurry so we couldn't stop." Gian said.

"What the hell? Are you trying to run us over?" One of them glared at the duo, but was ignored.

"Are you two blind?!" Another shouted. The two carried on ignoring them.

"Stop this boat now! We are the crew of Captain Buggy the Clown! We command that you stop this boat!" That managed to get Gian and Zoro to pay attention. Unfortunately, that did not bode well for the 3 pirates…

"We are sorry for our rash behavior! If we knew earlier that you guys are 'Pirate Hunter' Zoro and Gian 'The Rage Demon' we would never have threatened you!" the three now bruised and battered pirates groaned out, now forced to row the boat.

"What kind of stupid ass epithet did you give yourself?!" Zoro facepalmed.

"Shut up I'm having an off day…" Gian grumbled. "On a more serious note, why were you three taking a bath in the middle of the sea?"

"A girl! A very evil girl tricked us and stole our boat! She sure was cute though…" The three pirates explained.

"We can't go back to captain Buggy like this! Not when she took all our stolen treasure!"

Gian and Zoro mused over that information. "She managed to trick you guys?" Zoro questioned.

"She made us think that she was exhausted and then stole our boat! When we chased after her she made some weird weather prediction that came true! We lost our other boat in the storm along with the treasure!"

"So she can predict the weather…" Gian mused.

"A skill like that would make her a good navigator for us!" Zoro smirked.

"Indeed. First order of business however is still finding our wayward captain. So get back to rowing!" Gian commanded and the 3 pirates hastily did so.

 _Meanwhile_

"You bitch!" a voice shouted.

"Give us back the map you thief!" another sounded as well.

A group of people were chasing the same orange haired girl from before, she was clutching what appears to be a roll of paper.

" _I finally have the map of the Grand Line!"_ she thought as she continued to attempt escape from her pursuers.

 _Elsewhere_

A Ship was docked at the harbor, a very colorful ship for that matter. The ship had a very noticeable circus theme, part of it looking like a circus tent, with an elephant figurehead. On the ship stood a man wearing colorful clothing, green pants, a red shirt with white stripes and an orange pirate hat. His blue hair hung out in 2 braids. The most noticeable feature was his nose, which is bright red and circular like a clown's. He appears to be the captain of the ship.

Another pirate was on lookout duty besides him. "Captain Buggy, sir! There appears to be something flying in our direction!" he shouted in alarm as he spotted something.

"Well then, flashily shoot it down with the cannon!" the clown man ordered.

"Yes Sir!" The pirate complied.

 _With Luffy_

Luffy was not having much of a good time; being caught in a bird's beak isn't in most cases. Then his day got worse when an explosion sounded close to him. He felt the beak open up and suddenly he was freefalling. Soon he landed in a crater, which just so happens to be where the 3 pirates and the orange-haired girl was located.

"S-someone just fell from the sky!" one of the 3 pirates stuttered out.

"Oww… Why was there a cannonball all of a sudden?" Luffy moaned as he dusted himself off. He then looked around him and noticed the girl "Eh? Who are you?"

"Boss, you're here to save me!" the girl cried out. In truth she had no idea who this kid was, but if it can help her get away…

"I'll leave this to you!" she shouted as she sprinted off.

"She's getting away!" a pirate shouted.

"It doesn't matter anymore. We have her boss here! He's trying to protect her!" another said as they advanced on the rubber boy.

"Hey do you guys have any food?" Luffy was completely oblivious to what is going on.

"Don't you screw with us!" one of them shouted and threw a punch at Luffy's face. Due to his rubber body Luffy didn't feel a thing. However the force of the blow did cause something else; it made Luffy's straw hat come off his head.

Luffy's eyes turned hard at this.

 **POW! POW! BAM!**

"Don't touch my treasure." Luffy stated with a slight edge to his voice, as he casually flexed his arm as the pirate laid battered and bruised around him. All this was taken in by the orange haired girl who was watching him from the rooftop.

"Wow! You're really strong!" the girl claimed, amazed. "You beat up those pirates just by yourself!"

"Huh?" Luffy asked confused.

"We should work together! My name is Nami, I'm a thief that steals from pirates!" the girl proposed. Luffy did not seem interested in the prospect until Nami brought up a very enticing bargin: "I'll treat you!"

"Really?!" and just like that Luffy's attention was bought. It really seems that a way to a man's head is through his stomach.

 _Meanwhile_

Buggy the Clown was not a happy camper right now.

"What you do mean you haven't caught the thief yet?!" He demanded to his terrified crew.

"I-I just sent three people after her Buggy-sama!" one of the pirates squeaked out.

"How the hell did we lose the map that easily anyway? We were just about to set sail for the Grand Line!" The clown man muttered impatiently.

"We uh we accidently left the key in the… key hole…" Another pirate whispered sheepishly. This would've been the end of that discussion, however it seems that Buggy has a hearing problem…

" . ?!" the clown pirate demanded.

"I said that it isn't going to be a big-"The underling never got the chance to finish his sentence before Buggy exploded in a fit of rage.

" **IS MY NOSE BIG?!"** Buggy demanded. The truth is the nose is indeed quite big and shiny like a clown's. Hence his name. " **SHOULD I COVER IT UP?!"**

The pirate feebly tried to get away but found himself being lifter into the air by a pair of hands.

"Buggy-sama's Devil Fruit…" The other underlings looked in shock.

"Who am I?"

"C-Captain Buggy!" The pirate answered.

"And what do I do with people who mock me?!"

"Y-You kill them sir!"

"That I do, and now unfortunately I need an example of that" Buggy stated. The pirate's eyes widened in horror.

"NO! PLEASE! I WON'T SAY ANYTHIN AGAIN!" he pleaded in vain.

"Ready the Buggy Ball Cannon!" Buggy shouted.

"NO! WAIT-!" the man never got the chance to finish.

"Die flashily!"

The cannon was fired and a huge explosion occurred. When the smoke cleared, there was no trace of the man left.

"Now, get my map back and take all the treasure in this town!" Buggy commanded.

"Yes, Sir!"

 _Back with Luffy and Nami_

As promised, Nami treated Luffy to some lunch and the straw hat boy was taking full advantage of that. "This is delicious! Do you live here by yourself?" Luffy asked with a mouthful of food.

"Oh, I don't live in this town. All the people here ran away because they were afraid of Buggy." Nami answered.

"So you just break and enter then?"

"That's quite rude. I only steal from pirates and no one else." Nami retorted

"But you're a thief." Luffy stated matter of fact. Upon hearing this Nami looked away. Her eyes were quite determined.

"I will earn 100,000,000 beri, no matter what. And now that I have the map to the Grand Line that won't be a dream anymore!"

"A map huh, are you a navigator?" Luffy asked. This is an important question after all!

"Yep! I'm the best navigator you'll ever meet!" Nami claimed with confidence. It wasn't a lie; her skills in navigation really are impressive.

"That's great! You should join my crew! We need a navigator right now!" Luffy smiled. What luck!

"Really?" Nami as well was rather happy about joining such a strong person.

"Yeah! We'll have lots of fun as pirates!" And just like that, the big smile on the girl's face turned upside down.

"I refuse! I hate pirates more than anything in the world! I like money and tangerines!" the girl rebutted.

"C'mon! Be our navigator!" Luffy tried again.

"No!"

"Huh, that's too bad" Luffy shrugged and went back to eating.

Suddenly Nami got an idea. "Actually, now that I think of it, I can join your crew. Under one condition that is." She said with a devious smirk.

Luffy leaned in.

 _Meanwhile_

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE THIEF ESCAPED?!" Buggy shouted. "HOW CAN YOU LET HER ESCAPE?!"

The underlings were all cowering in fear at his tone. Then one pirate came running back with some news.

"Buggy-sama! The thief from before came back! She has something with her!" Everyone turned to see Nami returning with Monkey D. Luffy tied up.

"I captured the thief Captain Buggy! I have the map of the Grand Line that he took!" Nami announced.

"Thank you for returning my map! But what made you change your mind?" Buggy asked.

"You tricked me Nami!" Luffy cried on the side.

"I had an argument with my boss and now I've had enough of him. Also I'd like to join the Buggy Pirates." Nami said.

Buggy narrowed his eyes at this, and all was silent for a few seconds. Then he burst into laughter. "Gyahahaha! You sure are an interesting woman! Alright, you can join my crew!" Nami simply smiled.

" _Pirates are so easy to fool!"_ she thought triumphantly.

"Hey why am I in a cage?!" Luffy asked as he was placed in one. He was ignored as everyone was preparing for something.

"Gyahahahaha! Now that my map is back I'm in a good mood! What's your name, girl?" Buggy laughed. After hearing the name he laughed again! "Well then, let's have a welcoming party for our newest member Nami!"

The party was quite eventful. Lots of food and drink was passed around and merriment all around. Nami even got into a drinking contest with some of the other pirates and came out on top. Luffy was on the side staring glumly at all the food that he wished he could eat.

" _I'll have to be patient if I want to steal the map again."_ Nami thought. " _Then I'll take all of Buggy's treasure as well. There should be a hefty amount there."_

"I'm having a great time today! Men, prepare the special Buggy Bomb!" Buggy exclaimed. Soon the same cannon from earlier was brought out along with a cannonball with the Buggy Pirates Jolly Roger painted on it. The pirates aimed in at a building, teeming with excitement.

" **FIRE!"**

The cannonball tore through rows of buildings with no trouble. Buggy cackled while Nami and Luffy could only watch in shock.

 _With Gian and Zoro_

Meanwhile the two crewmembers had arrived at the docks and they were greeted with a massive explosion.

"Is the demolition company in town or something?" Gian quipped.

"That's Captain Buggy's Buggy Bomb!" the pirates whispered fearfully.

"How much do you wanna bet that our captain is there?" Zoro said.

"You just want my money don't you? C'mon let's get him out of there." The two raced towards the scene.

 _Back with Buggy_

"Now that's a flashy display! Hey Nami! With my Devil Fruit power and my Buggy Balls I'll conquer the Grand Line in no time right?" Buggy laughed triumphantly.

"Yup!" Nami said quickly.

"Hey! The one who'll conquer the Grand Line is me! I'm going to be the King of Pirates!" Luffy shouted from the side.

"Shut up you idiot!" Nami scolded.

"Now I can tell why you can't stand him" Buggy said, then his smile turned sinister. "As a gift, I'll let you kill him as a testament to your loyalty!"

"Eh?" Nami's blood ran cold at that; this was not a part of her plan…

"Prepare the next cannon!"

"T-that won't be necessary! We should just ignore him and continue with the party!" Nami tried to talk them out. Buggy on the other hand didn't budge.

"This _is_ how we party! Do it!"

Nami was handed a match and every pirate was goading her on to light it up. Nami looked at the cannon and to Luffy with a worried expression.

"Your hand is shaking." Luffy commented, shocking her "it's what happens when you're not mentally prepared."

"Prepare for what? To kill people? Like how other pirates do?" Nami asked, somewhat offended.

Luffy grinned. "Nope! It's when you're not mentally prepared to put your life on the line!"

Nami was surprised at this and didn't know how to respond. Before she could say anything a pirate grabbed the match from her. "You're taking too long! Here, I'll help you out."

Nami panicked as the pirate moved the match closer to the fuse. Without hesitation she whipped out a 3 sticks and snapped them together into a staff. The pirate ended up receiving a slam on the head.

" _Crap… I didn't even realize what I was doing…!"_ she thought.

"What do you think you're doing Nami?!" Buggy demanded angrily.

"Hey! Thanks for saving me!" Luffy called out. Nami scowled and whipped back to the imprisoned boy.

"Don't take this the wrong way! I didn't do it for you, I did it because of my own feelings! Pirates took someone precious from me, someone that I care about! I'll never become a pirate but I won't stoop to their level either!"

"Huh, so that's why…" Luffy was broken out of his thoughts when he smelled something burning. He looked up and reacted in horror to what he saw "AHHH! IT LIT UP!"

Indeed the fuse had been lit. Nami was rather horrified as well, the rest of the Buggy Pirates were not amused however…

"I knew you couldn't be trusted! Boys! Flashily kill her and the straw hat one!" Buggy yelled.

"Put out the fire!" Luffy was more concerned with that.

While being chased by pirates, Nami looked around for anything to put the fire out with no success. Seeing there being no other way, she instead took to grabbing the fuse with her hands and putting it out that way. The fire singed her skin and she bit back a scream as she felt her hands getting burned.

"Phew… Behind you!" Luffy warned and Nami turned to see a group of pirates charge at them with cutlasses drawn. Before they could do anything though, a blast of heat shot past her and carved a line between her and the pirates. The stunned pirates barely registered that when they were struck by the blunt edge of swords. A few were knocked around before gathering themselves.

"Zoro! Gian!" Luffy cheered as his two nakama showed up. "Did you guys get lost?"

"We nearly did… that swordsman… ran in the opposite direction…" Gian panted as his dorsal fins retracted into his body.

"Shut up! Your directions were terrible!" Zoro snapped.

"I'm so glad you're here! Hurry up and free me!"

"On it… just let me catch my breath." Gian said as he tried to gather his strength. He really shouldn't use any more **Atom Beams** if he wanted to stay in top condition.

The rest of the pirates were surprised to see the two newcomers. "D-did they just call one of them Roronoa Zoro? As in the 'Pirate Hunter'"? They fearfully whispered. Buggy glared at the two.

"So… you're Roronoa Zoro. Are you here to capture me?" the clown man asked.

"Hmph, I'm no longer a bounty hunter anymore, so I'm not interested in your head." The green haired swordsman replied. Buggy's mouth twisted into a grin.

"Oh, but I'm interesting in taking yours! It will increase my fame tenfold when people hear that 'Pirate Hunter' Roronoa Zoro died at my hand!" Buggy declared.

"Don't even try, I'll kill you…" Zoro growled.

"Will you now?" Buggy taunted as he drew a knife.

Buggy charged at Zoro, intent of skewering him with the blade. Zoro saw the attack coming however and easily dodged the attack. He then drew his own swords, cutting the Clown pirate into pieces.

"Well that was anti-climactic." Gian scoffed. However he looked up he noticed that the other pirates weren't shocked were scared at all; they were laughing out loud!

"What's so funny?" Luffy was puzzled.

" _Something isn't right here…"_ Gian frowned. Zoro thought something's up as well. It was then that they noticed the body of Buggy. The cut up pieces were not bleeding.

Suddenly to everyone's (minus the Buggy Pirates) surprise, Buggy appeared behind Zoro with his knife drawn. Zoro reacted too late as he felt the blade enter his side and he cried out in pain.

"Zoro!" Luffy shouted.

Buggy was cackling in triumph as the swordsman clutched his now bleeding wound. His hand was still detached from his arm and floating in midair.

"H-how is that possible?" Nami choked out.

"Gyahahaha! I ate the Bara-Bara no Mi! I'm a splitting man! Your attacks are useless against me Roronoa Zoro!" Buggy laughed.

"Dammit! Zoro stay back, you're at a disadvantage here." Gian leaped forward and delivered a sweeping kick to Buggy's torso only for the clown to split in half and avoid the attack. The pirate then drew another knife and Stabbed both of them into Gian's shoulders. "Too slow!" he declared.

Gian grunted in pain and pulled the two blades out, the flow of blood quickly lessened as the wound closed. "Healing power huh… Well it doesn't matter! That wound I inflicted on Roronoa Zoro is still serious! This battle is over!"

"HEY! Attacking someone from behind is cowardly ya big nose!" They then heard Luffy yell out angrily. Nami was horrified while Gian and Zoro simply chuckled.

Buggy's face darkened "Who… has… A… BIG… NOSE?!" he shouted. His hand shot forward once again but Luffy managed to avoid it.

"I'm gonna kick your ass!" Luffy shouted.

"Kick my ass? I'll kill all four of you!" Buggy shot back.

"Gian, Zoro run away!" Luffy commanded.

"What?! They came to rescue you and you're telling them to escape?!" Nami was flabbergasted. The other two however smirked as they caught on to what they were gonna do.

"You're not going anywhere! **Bara-Bara Hou!"** Buggy declared as he send his hand towards the two. Gian and Zoro were dodging left and right as the repeated assaults rained down on them, somehow able to emerge unscathed. Nami finally realized the plan as the two of them reached a familiar object: the cannon.

"W-wait! There's still a Buggy Ball in there!" The rest of the pirates caught onto the plan as well. Nami smirked as she lit the fuse.

"The bomb has been planted!" Gian yelped as he rushed to Luffy's cage. He lifted it up and freed his captain with little effort "I'm so glad I've been working out…"

"Wait! Stop! That's dangerous you're gonna kill us!" Buggy and his crew yelped and scrambled to get away. The cannon then detonated and the resulting explosion knocked many pirates out. Those who weren't effected were blocked by the thick veil of smoke that covered the Strawhat pirates' escape.

"What an _explosive_ way to begin the day! Skrehahaha!" Gian chuckled in mirth.

"Does he do that often?" Nami sweatdropped.

"Many, many times…" Zoro sighed.

 **A/N: And chapter 6 is done!**

 **Gian: dude… you're late…**

 **KP: Yeah sorry about that, between fanboying over Star Wars, Christmas parties and general procrastination I ended up delaying this chapter's release… It probably won't happen again!**

 **Gian: lies…**

 **KP: oh clam up… you're puns are terrible.**

 **Gian: Hey! Why'd you make this personal?!**

 **KP: Anyyyyways the next chapter should be out sometime in the first week of January! Think of this one as an early New Year's present or a late Christmas present or something! I've gotten a ton of follows and faves on this! So thank you for the continued support! The story now over 2.5 k views so keep it up! Review Please!**

 **Gian: MY PUNS ARE AMAZING!**


	7. The monster and the lion tamer

**Disclaimer: One Piece and Godzilla are under the ownership of Eiichiro Oda and Toho Co. ltd respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, original abilities and original locations.**

 **A/N: a few people are concerned with how the last chapter was too close to canon. Sometimes that's unavoidable, due to how there isn't much opportunity for Gian to create any different scenarios, especially this early on in the story. I want to stick to canon but not create something exactly the same, so because of this I don't think I'll be doing any of the filler arcs or movies (except for Strong World and Film Z since those two actually tie into plot rather well) mostly just to speed things up. I do have some original chapters just for Gian, and I have something of an original Arc planned out but that's not until much later. Gian would also be taking on other Kaiju-Zoan OCs I've planned out as well, so there should be a decent amount of freshness. Alright, rant over!**

The Strawhats were able to escape thanks to the cover of smoke the cannon created. Nami walked on ahead, While Gian tottered slightly behind due to him having two carry-on luggage. They finally found a safe enough spot to rest for a bit, and Gian finally set down Luffy's cage as well as an injured Zoro.

"Package… arrived safely… sign… here…" The 23 year old panted. Sure his daily training has given him a well build figure and above average strength but carrying two heavy objects at once was not something anybody would want to do.

"I told you I could walk myself." Zoro hissed in pain as he attempted to stop his wound from bleeding.

"Yeah, and then you'll bleed out and I'd have to carry you to a hospital so might as well get it done early." Gian finally caught his breath and looked at Nami "Oh, and I don't believe I've introduced myself yet. Name's Gian. Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue. Ladies love it" he recited a quote from a character in one of Goro's television shows. _"I really should've brought a recording of that series, it'll stave off boredom when I'm going to places. Shame that I didn't; it was a good show too…"_ he thought.

"She's our new navigator." Luffy called out, still inside the cage.

"I never agreed to that!" Nami snapped "Oh, sorry about that. My name is Nami, and technically I'm sort of responsible for getting him captured. I'll pick the lock or steal the key to get him out." The girl replied.

"I can just break the cage. Now that we're in a much quieter place that shouldn't be too hard. It wouldn't be so dangerous either."

"Hey a dog!" Luffy's voice interrupted their discussion. The 3 people turned to see a small dog sitting completely still in front of a pet store. "Awww… he's so cute!" Gian gushed uncharacteristically, which earned him looks from the others.

"Why isn't he moving?" Luffy pondered and stretched out an arm and began to poke the dog, much to the chagrin of Gian. And just like any other dog when you annoy it too much, it opened its mouth, ran over, and bit the captain in the face.

"AHHH GET OFF!" Luffy cried in pain, but the dog had a vice-like grip with his jaws.

"That what you get for annoying animals." Gian chuckled at his captain's ruckus with the mammal. Zoro found it hilarious as well but due to his injury he didn't have much energy to muster up a laugh.

"Dumb dog…" Luffy grumbled as he finally managed to dislodge the animal. It had been difficult to do anything in that cage!

"Here, it's about time we let you out" Gian smirked as he flexed his right arm slightly. Nami's eye's widened as a blue flame like substance began to coat the appendage. The youth then raised his arm before bringing it down hard on the side of the cage, shattering the stone. Luffy coughed the dust out and moved his joints around a bit, then grinned at his first nakama. "Thanks Gian!"

"H-how are you so strong?" Nami whispered in a mixture of fear and amazement.

"Oh you know, 10 % luck, 20% skill, and 15% concentrated power of will." Gian shrugged as if it was no big deal. Nami gave him a "are you kidding me?" stare. "Ok, it's mostly my Devil Fruit. Don't ask too much questions but it can increase my cell regeneration but it also increases physical strength by a big margin." This answer made a bit more sense to the cat burglar.

"So what's with the dog?" Zoro wheezed from his post.

The 4 had forgotten about that during Gian's little performance. They turned to see the canine had gone back to standing still in front of the pet store, not moving a muscle.

"It might be brain-dead…" Zoro deducted. At this Gian let out a mock cry of horror and cried out exaggerated tears.

"Ohhhh, you poor thing! Here I'll comfort ya!" before he can have any cuddle time with the mammal a voice rang out.

"HEY! You 4 stop bothering ChouChou!" the 4 turned to see an old man with grey curly hair wearing a suit of armor coming towards them.

"Woah, that's some sick weave!" Gian quipped. "Who are you old man?"

"My name is Broodle, I'm the mayor of this town." Upon seeing the semi-conscious Roronoa Zoro leaning against a lamp-post trying to stop a bleeding wound his gaze softened. "You need to get that treated. I'll take you to my place to get that patched up." The strawhats all nodded in agreement and Mayor Broodle walked Zoro towards his house.

 _Meanwhile_

"I'm alive *cough cough!" A head bursted out of a pile of rubble. It was none other than Buggy the Clown, who managed to get out of the explosion relatively unscathed. "Those brats dare use my own weapon against me?! It's clear that they're declaring war on me! Well I have just the answer to that! Oh Mohji! I have a job for you!"

As soon as those words were said a large lion appeared. On top of the carnivore was a man wearing a fur suit and furry hair. This man was 'Beast Tamer' Mohji and he along with his pet lion Richie is the First Mate of the Buggy Pirates.

"You want me to take out Roronoa Zoro and those others right?" the man asked.

"Gyahahahaha! That's right! Make sure you get it done! You know what will happen if you don't!"

"Of course." The man nodded as he and his pet bounded away to hunt for their prey.

 _Back with the Strawhats_

By this point the mayor had patched Zoro up and have him rest at his place. He then went back to the pet store to tell the rest of them the news.

"He's lost a lot of blood. I told him I'll get a doctor for him but he said he just needed sleep." The mayor informed them.

"Thanks old man!" Luffy said in gratitude. Gian gave his thanks as well.

"So why is Chouchou the only living thing in this town aside from the pirates?" Nami asked. Earlier she had told them why she was here and how Buggy's arrival had caused all the residents in the town to run away.

"Chouchou has been guarding this pet store for quite some time. I come by every once in a while to feed him" Mayor Broodle explained as he held out a box of dog food.

"Awww… aren't you a good little guardian!" Gian cooed as he bend down and began petting the little mammal. To every one's surprise, instead of biting his hand the dog was rather enjoying himself and even licked his hand a few times. "You're gonna keep it nice and safe for-" he then noticed the stares "What? I like dogs."

Broodle smiled at this "The store belonged to an old friend of mine. He and Chouchou had many memories here. I usually come to visit them." The mayor said sadly.

"Why is he still guarding it? Isn't everyone in a safe place?" Nami asked again.

"The owner of the store died 3 months ago due to illness unfortunately. But even then Chouchou refuse to move from here." The mayor continued. "People think he's still waiting for his master to return but I think otherwise. He probably is already aware of his master's passing and is guarding it for a different reason."

"He thinks it is his treasure." Gian concluded. "It's the only thing that reminds him of his late master. That's why he's willing to endure so much."

"Aye, that's the reason." Broodle affirmed "I tried to get him to budge many times but he just wouldn't." This made the 3 see the roughed up dog in a new light.

"I rest my case, you _are_ a good little guardian!" Gian grinned as he gave the canine some more scratches behind the ear. The little dog woofed contently as it snuggled against his leg "What did humans do to deserve dogs…"

"He likes you a lot." The mayor smiled along with Luffy. Even Nami couldn't help but feel her lips curl upwards at this scene.

"Well, a dog like Chouchou is something special. I have my own treasure as well" Gian answered and his thoughts drifted to both his surrogate family and his new found nakama. "Let's both work hard to protect the treasures we care about, alright?" he asked the dog.

"Woof!" Chouchou barked in agreement.

Suddenly a roar alerted the group. Everybody looked up in alarm as a lion and its rider bounding towards them.

"Oh no! It's 'Beast Tamer' Mohji!" Broodle shouted. He then turned and dragged along Nami into a nearby house. Only Luffy and Gian were left to face the fearsome feline

"Well, Well, Well… looks like your friends have abandoned you! You guys have caused a lot of trouble for Captain Buggy with that show back there. I'm gonna have to teach you two a lesson!"

"Dude, the furry convention is that way…" Gian grimaced and pointed in the direction the pirate came from.

"Know that I am the first mate to Captain Buggy! I have the ability to tame any wild animal and make it do my bidding!" Mohji declared as he pointed to Chouchou "Now watch as I tame this beast!"

Mohji walked up to the dog and held out his hand "Shake!" he commanded. Unfortunately for him, instead of doing what he was told the dog leapt up and bit the man on the arm. Mohji yelled in pain as he tried to dislodge the canine while Luffy and Gian were rolling on the ground from laughing.

"Here, let me show you how it's done." Gian snickered as he held his own hand up "Shake!"

Chouchou casually raised one of his paws and "shook" hands with the 23 year old. "Guess I'm the winner." Gian said casually. Luffy cheered while Mohji was seething.

"Grrrr… you made me mad! I'd kill you all right now but I'll ask you a question! Where is Roronoa Zoro hiding? Answer and I may spare you!" the man demanded.

"With your mom" Gian snorted as he and his captain once again erupted into laughter. Even Chouchou was giving his own little doggy laughs.

"THAT'S IT! GET EM RICHIE!" the man shouted angrily and the lion was too eagar to comply. It pounced towards the duo with claws outstretched, only for them to easily side-step out of the way. Richie roared in frustration and pounced again but was met with the same result.

"You missed!" Luffy called out. Mohji gritted his teeth in frustration, then smirked.

"Richie, you're hungry right now aren't you? Well there's a pet store right there! Go and have a snack!"

The lion grinned and leapt towards the pet store. Luffy and Gian's eyes widen in shock as they realize what would happen.

"Arf! Arf! Arf!" Chouchou stood bravely to protect the store.

"Chouchou get out of the way!" the horrified mayor shouted from inside another building. But Chouchou stood his ground as he sought to protect the only thing that matters to him.

" _Crap, Chouchou is gonna get killed at this point!"_ Nami thought from beside the mayor.

"ARF! ARF! ARF!" Chouchou continued to bark with determination.

"Little pest, what are you trying to do, preventing us from entering the store?" Mohji sneered. Chouchou was swatted away by the much larger feline. He skidded across the cobblestone. But to Mohji's surprise, the dog forced himself back up and barked at the lion once again. He then opened his mouth and bit Richie on the leg. The lion roared in pain and smashed the little dog against the wall.

"Alright Richie! Get rid of the mongrel." Mohji demanded.

Richie growled and saw Chouchou charging a 3rd time. This time, the lion swung his forearm up, knocking the poor puppy into the air, then slammed his paw down hard as he was falling down.

"Time to take care of this store once and for all." The beast tamer decided.

"No!" both Luffy and Gian raced towards the lion but was swatted aside as well. Mohji smirked as he and Richie entered the pet store. A few moments later they stepped out, with Richie having box of pet food in his mouth.

"Guess Roronoa Zoro's not here." Mohji muttered before mounting his lion turning to leave. As he did so, the pet store lit ablaze.

"AROOOOOOOO!" the howl of Chouchou could be heard. The dog was covered in wounds, its eyes were bleary as he witnessed the destruction of his dear master's property; the only important thing to him. The dog whined in sorrow.

"That store, it was his treasure…" Luffy was gritting his teeth, he turned around to follow Mohji but found that a hand was blocking his way.

"Gian?"

The taller man had a dark forcast hungover his eyes, and Luffy could hear audible growls that sounded more like rumbles emitting from the youth. Then Gian looked up, and his sclera had turned into an all too familiar color of amber.

"Luffy… he's mine…" the determined snarl gave no room for arguments.

Luffy smiled at this "I got it" he replied simply; no more needed to be said.

Gian staggered over to Chouchou as the little dog head was down staring at the burning ruins of the store. He bent down and softly petted the dog behind the years. Chouchou looked up with a sad look and saw that Gian's eyes were full of fire.

"You're a brave little boy" Gian smiled softly, "I'll make sure to finish the job." Chouchou gave his hand a lick as he stood back up. Gian then powered up his leg guards and with a single leap, bounded to the sky to dish out some rightful retribution.

"Don't worry" Luffy said beside the dog "Gian won't leave something like this unpaid for."

* * *

As Mohji was riding down the path he felt something whistling towards him. Looking up he was shocked as he saw a rapidly approaching shape falling. It landed with a loud " **CRASH"** which formed a dust cloud. As the dust settled, Mohji's eyes widened as he saw Gian glaring at him.

"You and I, we need to have a little talk…" Gian's eyes never left the 'Beast Tamer's'.

"B-back for more punishment from Richie I see?" Mohji's expression turned back to a spiteful sneer "didn't you learn your lesson?"

"Oh… back there I didn't want to give the kids a bad image of me, but now that we're alone I'm gonna make you regret burning down that store! You better hold onto that kitty of yours, because I really need a new lionskin coat..."

"You think you're tough shit? Trying to avenge that mongrel are you? You're stupidity will be your death! Get em Richie!"

The lion roared and pounced towards Gian with paws outstretched, ready to tear the man apart. Richie collided heavily with 23 year old and knocked him to the ground, its claws raking lines down the man's chest, shredding his vest. Just as it had believed it won, Gian smirked and delivered a kick to its abdomen sending the lion flying with a pained yowl. Mohji's eyes widen in shock as he saw that the wounds inflicted were closing at rapid speed, even the vest was!

"H-how are you-"

"You're out of your league here, the Goji-Goji no Mi's super regeneration heals wounds within seconds!" Gian smirked. "In other words, don't waste your time, I'll just heal everything that you deal to me. Now it's my turn."

Richie roared in frustration and leaped with his jaw gaping, but Gian would not give him any more opportunities to attack. He leaned backwards and delivered a snapping flip kick that sent the lion flying straight up into the air. Gian then did a powered up jump which brought him level to the airborne lion and clasped his legs around the lion's midsection. Cocking his fist back he delivered a series of radiation enhanced punches as the two began to fall. With one final punch he sent the lion sprawling into the cobblestone, its body slightly dug into a crater. Richie was knocked out instantly.

Mohji let out a horrified yelp as he saw his now unconscious pet, and his fear escalated when he saw Gian rise back up and trudge towards him. He tried to back away but tripped and landed on his butt and soon found himself being picked up by the helm of his shirt and brought to eye level with the amber eyes of the Goji-Goji no Mi eater.

"W-WAIT, NO! PLEASE! I'M SORRY!" the 'Beast Tamer' begged as Gian raised his fist again.

"Oh is that so? You're _sorry?_ Heh, if I knew better I'd say you just shit your pants! Tell you what, I understand that pirates destroy things to strike fear into their enemy's hearts and show people whose boss, so I understand why you did it." Mohji was slightly relieve to hear that, that is until he saw that Gian's gaze only grew harder and his fist was gaining a flickering aura of blue fire. "However, what you took away was not just a piece of property, it was someone's _treasure_ , something that meant the whole world to them. I will never forgive you for that! And even if I did, _they_ never will! **ATOMIC FIST!"**

Mohji barely had time to let out a scream of mercy before Gian's blazing punch crashed into his face and sent him tearing through the air, crashing into his pet lion and sending him flying into the distance as well.

"…" Gian looked on wordlessly before noticing a box nearby; it was some food that was selling at the store. Gian picked up the box before making his way back to his captain.

* * *

 _Back with Luffy_

The pet store was now just a pile of ashy grey burnt wood. Chouchou continued to bark at it, the people around him clearly noting his distress.

Nami on the other hand was boiling with anger. How can anyone do something like this?!

"You pirates… you're all the same… destroying people's dreams and taking everything from them… it's unforgivable!" her glare then snapped to Luffy, " _he's probably just like all others.."_ she thought, letting her anger get the best of her. Luffy was not paying attention to her and was staring intenstly at the wreck along with the dog. Wordlessly she formed her staff and marched towards the strawhat captain, intent on bludgeoning him with it.

"Miss, please stop!" it was the mayor trying to hold her back.

"Why should I? Pirates like him would probably hurt more innocent people in the future! He's probably no different than Buggy!"

"Say, where did the other one go? You know, the tall guy with the black hair that's always telling bad jokes?"

"Everybody's a critic…" the voice caught the surprise of Nami and Broodle as they looked up to see Gian walking towards him. Luffy smiled as his nakama came back, which signified that he's finished with what he meant to do.

Gian walked straight to Chouchou as he brought out the box of pet food. The canine looked downcast until he saw the food, which made him look up.

"Sorry, I think this is the only one left…" he said as he placed the box in front of him. He then looked towards the smoldering pet store. "What a shame huh, that was a really good looking store…" his words made the dog a bit depressed once again but Chouchou was surprised when Gian placed a hand atop his head.

"But don't you think for one moment that your treasure is gone. Even though physically it is far away, at the same time it is closer than anything else. As long as you keep it cherished" he then pointed a finger at the little dog's chest, where his heart would be "Right here."

Chouchou stared a while before nuzzling the man's hand, causing Gian to chuckle. Luffy grinned at his nakama's words and the mayor smiled warmly as well. Nami, who was previously angry at the pirates, felt her rage slowly dissipate as the scene unfolded.

Chouchou then picked up the box of dog food and began to walk off but not barking at the two pirates one more time.

"Yeah, you keep at it too!" Gian waved.

"Bye doggy!" Luffy waved as well.

"…God what I said was clichéd…" Gian muttered sheepishly "I hope Chouchou didn't mind that." This made Luffy laugh.

"I think it meant a lot to him" Mayor Broodle smiled "You have a kind heart Gian, it's a shame your choice of humor is a bit iffy." Gian just snorted at that.

All this time Nami was watching with a soft smile on her face. She certainly learned something there. Her belief of pirates had always been that they were the lowest of the low and evil incarnate, and to an extent, that's still the case.

" _But Gian just…"_ she thought. It was hard to believe that a pirate would do something like that just for a simply dog.

"Maybe I was wrong about them" Nami said to herself "Maybe not all pirates are the same…"

 **A/N: 7 chapters in and I really had to thank you all for the continued support. I honestly didn't think i'd have this much support in this story! This chapter was supposed to be out yesterday as I had planned to finish the rest, however I'd received some unfortunate news that day. My grandmother, who's honestly one of the wisest women I've ever had the honor of knowing, passed away at the grand age of 85.**

 **It was a pretty sudden blow, even though her health had been on the low for the last two years it was still unexpected. Because of that I lost all motivation to continue writing that for the rest of the day. If it weren't for my friends and other things that kept me grounded, I probably would've lost more motivation on this entirely.**

 **But that's enough sad stuff. Reviews are visible again! Thank you for all the feedback, especially you Vergil Leonidas, since you've kept track of this story ever since you decide to favorite it. Orange Town arc should wrap up in 2 more chapters, after that I'll be able to bring in Usopp and I am seriously looking forward to that, it's just not the Strawhat Pirates without him!**

 **Anyways hope you all enjoy the story, and Review please!**


	8. Retaliate against the Buggy Pirates!

**A/N: Godzilla and One Piece are the properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership save for any OCs, locations and abilities.**

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WERE DEFEATED?!" An absolutely irate Buggy the Clown raged at his fallen first mate. Mohji had managed to drag his beaten self along with his lion back to his captain. Both of them looked much worse for wear as Mohji had a large singe mark on his cheek as well as a couple of bruises and some missing teeth and Richie had multiple lumps and his eyes were swirls now.

"I… underestimated him… I'm sorry… Captain Buggy…" Mohji weakly let out.

"But Zoro had been injured! How could you have still lost?!"

"Not… Zoro… The other one… Black hair… has healing powers…"

"Him?!" Buggy gritted his teeth; he can't have his crew getting beaten like this! Their reputation will tank! With that in mind Buggy made his decision.

"ARM ALL THE CANNONS WITH BUGGY BALLS! WE'RE GONNA WIPE THIS TOWN OFF THE MAP!"

 _Meanwhile_

Mayor Broodle was deep in thought.

Right now he and the younger people were taking a small breather after Gian's fight with the beast had been on his mind ever since the youth came back and it was making him uncomfortable.

"GRRRR! I can't stand this anymore!" The mayor cried in frustration. "What kind of a mayor can't even protect his own town? You youngsters are risking your lives yet an old man like me is letting his town get destroyed by those villains! This town and its people are my treasure! I'm going to protect it!" With that in mind Broodle pulled out a spear on his back.

"Mayor! Don't be so hot-headed!" Nami voiced her concern. Anyone can respect someone with that drive, but you still need to be cautious!

"No, there is only some much a man can take! I'm going to fight for my town!"

"You go old man!" Luffy cheered

"DON'T ENCOURAGE HIM!" Nami yelled.

"You're going at him with just a spear? That's a bit lacking isn't it?" Gian voiced his own concern. " _At least Gian is rational"_ Nami sighed with relief, or so she thought. "Wait until we get you a BFG! Then you can lay waste to em! Skrehahaha-OW!" he was interrupted by a smack on the head.

"YOU AREN'T HELPING EITHER! AND WHAT THE HECK IS A BFG?!"

The mayor was about to begin another tirade when the group heard a deafening BOOM! Moments later an entire row of houses were torn to pieces by the explosion. The mayor's eyes widened in horror.

"Oh no! One of those was my house!" This made the other 3 also perk up in shock.

"Shit! Zoro is still in there!" Luffy shouted.

Fortunately Zoro was pretty blessed in the department for living through near-fatal incidents, and that seemed to be the case yet again. When the small group reached the fallen house they were greeted to the sight of the green haired swordsman's head poking out of the rubble.

"What a way to wake up…" he grumbled.

"Yup! An _explosively_ rude awakening! Good to see you're still here." Gian sighed in relief, ignoring the dry look that Nami, Zoro and mayor Broodle sent him.

"Thank goodness you're alive!" Luffy was relieved as well.

"How could he survive that?" Nami was kind of scared at that to be honest.

At the sight of the rubble, Mayor Broodle felt his anger rising. "40 years… for 40 years we spent developing this land into our home! And now they are destroying all of that! That does it! I am going to protect this town! I'M COMING FOR YOU BUGGY THE CLOWN!" with that the mayor tightened his grip on his spear and sped towards the pirates.

"He was crying… the mayor was crying…" Nami whispered as he watched him leave.

"His passion for this town is what drives him to do such reckless actions" Gian spoke solemnly "to see everything he's loved and cared about gone in an instant would bring tears to anybody" he didn't know why, but for some reason when he said that he himself was hurting inside as well, as if he's lost something long ago…

"You would be crying too, if something precious to you was destroyed and the people you cared about was terrorized." Nami froze when he said this, her eyes were shadowed and she didn't speak. This did not go unnoticed by Gian.

" _Something is bothering her, I could feel it even back when we first crossed paths when we were trying to rescue Luffy."_

"Yeah… I guess so…" she said at last, albeit very quietly

" _I rest my case, something is_ definitely _bothering her…"_

"Alright! I'm gonna go kick Buggy's ass!" Luffy's bold declaration snapped both of them out of their thoughts.

"Heh, I'd wondered when you'd say that!" Gian smirked

"Count me in, I'm gonna get some payback against that freak!" Zoro joined them.

"But you're wounded, can you really fight like with that?" Nami asked.

"Something like this isn't going to slow me down! I'll be fine, my pride was more damaged really"

"We are going to take that map from them as well! Then we can head to the Grand Line!" Luffy declared and then turned to Nami "Come with us! Be my nakama!"

Nami scowled again "I told you I'm NOT becoming a pirate!" She looked down, then smiled "But I _suppose_ I'll join you guys, so that we can complete our goals!" And thus it was decide.

 _Meanwhile_

"Load up another cannon boys!" Buggy commanded. "On my mark, Ready, Fi-"

"Come out and face me Buggy the Clown!" a voice suddenly interrupted him. "I am Mayor Broodle, and I will be your opponent! In order to protect my precious town, I will stop you!"

"Gyahahaha! Fool! The only thing that are precious in the world are gold and treasure! You call a town like this treasure? What an idiot!" Buggy sneered.

"SHUT UP! You have no idea how I feel! I'll-"The mayor rush forwards only to find himself being picked up by the collar by a pair of dismembered hands.

"I'm going to the Grand Line and I will obtain all the treasure in the world! You were a fool to get in my way! Because of that how about I destroy your treasure along with YOU?!" Buggy cackled as the cannon pointed towards the town. Before he can do anything however, he was interrupted by an approaching group of pirates. He looked down and saw Luffy's grip on his hand. The young pirate glared hard at the clown man.

"Straw Hat! You dare come back here?!"

"I've told you I'm here to kick your ass!"

"Now listen you guys, I want the map as well as all the treasure, understand?" Nami directed to the other 3.

"Yeah whatever…" Zoro grumbled. He had a sneaking suspicion that this was gonna become a common theme.

"You want fries with that?" Gian figured as much that he should make the best of it.

"What do you kids think you're doing?!" The mayor regained composure and shouted at the group. "You guys are outsiders! I'll handle this myself! This is my fight!"

Gian sighed "You try to help a guy and this is what you get. Hey old man, have you been sleeping well lately?"

"Well these last- Wait, what does that have to-"The mayor never got to finish that sentence as Gian strolled up to him and took a hold of his neck and pinched down with two fingers on a pressure point. The mayor slumped over instantly in Gian's arms and he placed him to the side.

"Why did you do that?!" Nami yelled.

"He would've gotten in the way." All three pirates responded.

"Don't worry, he'll just be knocked out for a bit, he'll come to after we're done here." Gian assured her.

"Alright, time to do this!" Luffy declared and faced Buggy. He took a deep breath and shouted "HEY BIG NOSE!"

"You cannot say that to him! You just pissed him off!" Nami was horrified. Zoro on the other hand chuckled at his captain while Gian yelled out "SICK BURN!" from the side.

"THAT'S IT YOU'RE PISSING ME OFF! MEN, FIRE THE BUGGY BALL!" Buggy screamed.

The cannon was pointed towards the rubber man as he stood there nonchalantly.

"This can't be good…" Gian muttered as he braced himself. If need be, he'll try to fire an Atom Ray to intercept it."

"Oi Luffy! Gian! Run!" Zoro yelled from the side. Nami was already running.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine." Luffy assured him.

"FLASHILY DIE! FIRE!"

" **Gomu Gomu no… Fusen!"**

The cannonball roared towards them with astonishing sound. Luffy however, grinned and sucked in a mouthful of air. His body swelled up, much like a big round rubber balloon. The Buggy Ball struck the young pirate sinking into the large ball.

"That won't work!" Luffy declared.

"Don't tell me that-"Buggy panicked as the Buggy Ball was bounced back towards them and a large explosion happened.

"Tell us beforehand…" Zoro sighed. His captain made him worry over nothing.

"Yeah! I hit them!" Luffy cheered.

"Just… What are you people?!" Nami was bewildered.

"WE ARE GROOT!" Gian informed her from out of nowhere.

"THAT DOESN'T ANSWER ANYTHING! HOW DID HE JUST DO THAT?!" Nami facefaulted.

"I became a balloon!" Luffy answered, not completely hearing the question.

"I DIDN'T ASK WHAT, I ASKED HOW!"

The dust from the explosion cleared, and the crew was shocked to see Buggy holding two of his subordinates in front of him. It was clearly on how he survived that explosion. "How dare you do that to me?!"

"That coward… using his own underlings as a shield…" Nami muttered in disgust. The other 3 shared similar thoughts.

"Ohhh… I can't eat anymore." A bruised and dazed Mohji woke up after the event. He looked around groggily. His eyes then widen in terror as he spotted a fimilar figure across from him.

"IT'S YOU!" He screamed. Gian just growled at him menacingly.

"If you're still curious, Luffy ate the Gomu-Gomu no Mi and he's now a rubber man." Gian grumbled to Nami.

"RUBBER MAN?! WHY DID YOU NOT TELL ME THIS EARLIER MOHJI?" Buggy roared at his subordinate.

"I'm sorry! I forgot!"

"At least it makes sense how our Buggy Ball was sent back at us…" Buggy grumbled.

"This is most humiliating captain Buggy!" another voice drew attention. They turned to see another man emerge from the rubble. The man had green hair and wore a simple sleeveless coat, white pants and a blue and white scarf. This man was Cabaji, second mate of the Buggy pirates. He was able to escape the worst of the explosion by using a certain lion as a shield which infuriated the first mate.

"Ah good! You're here Cabaji! Now show them your acrobatic skills!"

"With pleasure, Captain!" And with that the man drew a sword and jumped on a unicycle. He charged at the straw hats.

"I am Cabaji the Acrobat! Second Mate of Captain Buggy and the one who will end you all!" his sword descended towards Luffy, however at the last second it was blocked by another sword; Roronoa Zoro was glaring daggers at the newcomer.

"You're a swordsman too huh? Then you're my opponent!" Zoro pointed out.

"Fair enough, to kill the legendary Roronoa Zoro is a pleasure for anyone!" Cabaji gave a sinister smile; he noticed the still bleeding wound of Zoro and he had a plan to defeat him.

"I'll take him down, you two stay out of this!" He said to Luffy and Gian. " **Onigiri!"**

Zoro dashed forward with all 3 swords drawn and the fight began.

* * *

Gian, while slightly miffed that there was no one else to fight, was content to let Zoro handle his business. It was then he noticed a few surviving pirates creeping up on them.

" _Seems like they're trying to get in a surprise attack on us when we're unaware, why am I not surprised? Oh well, it'll give me something to do, and it'll get them off our backs too."_ He looked back at Zoro; the swordsman was not faring well, but only due to the fresh wound on his side and Cabaji seemed to be targeting that area almost exclusively. Gian gritted his teeth, even though Zoro told him not to interfere, seeing such shameful action would get anyone's blood boiling. He shook off the feeling; Zoro can handle himself, and he had a new plan of action.

Gian dashed towards the group of pirates, who tried to intercept him with their cutlasses drawn. A pirate attacked from the side, trying to cut him down. Gian simply ducked under the blade and kicked him to the side. By this point the rest of the pirates charged at once, intending to use numbers to try and overwhelm him. Gian frowned; he really wanted to get this over with by now. Gathering atomic energy into both fists, he powered up his leg gear and leapt in the form of a human missile and knocked all the pirates around.

"Hallelujah, it's raining men." He chuckled as the airborne pirates fell around him.

"How can you all be down so easily?! You guys are useles- WHAAAA?!" an annoying voice got his attention as he noticed a terrified Mohji on the scene.

"It's you! I-I-I will have my revenge for what y-you did to me earlier!" The Beast Tamer stammered out.

"Oh please! You don't even have that pussy of yours with you this time. Don't waste my time."

"I-I don't need him!" Mohji stuttered as he brought out a whip. He cracked it once and swung it towards Gian, intending to strike him. Unfortunately Gian simply reached out a hand and caught it.

"Get lost." He growled as his fist ignited blue and incinerated the whip. This was all it took to get Mohji running down the street screaming out apologies.

"Well that was a rather big waste of time…" Gian muttered, slightly miffed on how his nakama both had somewhat worthy opponents to face. He turned to see how Zoro was faring with his adversary and saw that, despite his injury, Zoro is now overwhelming his rival swordsman with heavy attacks. With one last **'Oni Giri'** the green haired swordsman landed 3 slashes across Cabaji's chest. With a splatter of blood and a pained yell the second mate of the Buggy Pirates was out as well.

* * *

"You feelin' ok?" Gian was concerned and let out a startled yell when he saw Zoro fall down. He quickly raced over to check up on him, only to find him snoring away.

"Wow… I have no words…" Gian snickered and turned to his captain "You got this covered right?"

"Of course, I'll take care of the rest!" Luffy promised.

"I can't believe it… We're being defeated by a bunch of thieves!" Buggy yelled in frustration.

"We're not thieves, we're pirates! And we're going to the Grand Line!" Luffy shot back.

"You guys are pirates?! Don't make me laugh! What are you gonna do in the Grand Line? Go sightseeing"

"To become the King of Pirates!" Luffy declared adamantly

"And maybe some sightseeing on the side… what? I'm sure there are some nice places we can go camping for a few days!" Gian chirped in as well.

"STOP FOOLING AROUND! YOU'RE GONNA BE THE PIRATE KING? THEN I MUST BE GOD! The only one who deserves to be Pirate King is me!" Buggy yelled.

"You talk too much… clown-nose."

Tick marks began to develop across his face. Buggy flicked his hands and 4 knives appeared in each. "You're seriously pissing me off right now! Goddammit! Looking at that stupid straw hat of yours is only making it worse! It's reminding me of that despicable red-hair!"

That comment made not only Luffy look up in shock, but Gian as well. Both were surprised that this pirate knew of the man who had played a role in both their lives.

"Red hair? Do you mean Shanks? You know Shanks?" Luffy asked.

"He can't…" Gian whispered

"What if I do? To say that I know him, I know him. And to say that I don't know him, I don't know him!" Buggy retorted.

"What are you talking about? Are you an idiot?"

"You're the idiot! Do you think I'd just tell you things whenever you feel like? I'm not a good person you know!"

"He's probably lying anyway! I refuse to believe that the man who sheltered me used to work at a circus!" Gian shouted despondently.

"SHUT UP NOBODY ASKED YOU!" Buggy whirled on him.

"If you're not gonna say anything, then I'll just beat it out of you…" Luffy muttered.

"Heh, beat me? You'll be dead before that! After all…" his tapped his shoes together and two knives popped out of there as well "Rubber can't bounce blades! **Bara Bara Senbei!** "

Buggy's lower half detached from his body and he sent it wheeling towards the rubber man, its blades spinning like a makeshift saw threating to tear Luffy apart. Luffy quickly jumped up and dodged. However Buggy anticipated this and threw all his knives at the airborne captain, forcing Luffy to stretch his arm out and grab onto a nearby pole to evade the blades.

"Interesting moves you got there." Buggy commented as his legs returned to him.

"You too" Luffy answered before stretching his arm back " **Gomu Gomu no… Pistol!"** the fist shot forward like its namesake, which Buggy only barely managed to avoid.

"Now you're wide open!" Buggy sneered and pulled out a sword to dismember the stretched appendage. Luffy however, had a backup plan.

" **Gomu Gomu no… Kama!"**

Luffy released his hold on the pole and now his entire body along with the remaining arm sped towards Buggy, aiming to strike his head.

" **Bara Bara Emergency Escape!"** Buggy's head popped away from his body, thus avoiding harm. Luffy ended up crashing into a nearby building.

"Gyahahaha! Too naïve rubber boy!" Buggy chortled.

"Am I watching slapstick or something?" Gian deadpanned from the side. He expected fighting, but like this? Not so much.

"This is crazy… it's like I'm dreaming…" Gian turned and saw Nami with two massive bags of treasure.

"Where did you disappear to?"

"None of your business" Nami retorted. Gian decided to drop it and turned his attention back to the fight.

"Damn splitting…" Luffy muttered as he got up.

" **Bara Bara Ho!"** Buggy shouted again. His fist, along with his arm up to his elbow, shot off again harpooning towards Luffy. The rubber boy managed to grab on to hand's wrist. But Buggy had another trick up his sleeve.

" **Release!"**

This time the hand detached itself from the arm and shot forwards with high speed. Luffy managed to move his head to the side to avoid barely getting impaled by the blades. However he didn't get away completely unscathed…

"MY HAT!" Luffy cried out as the straw hat was revealed to have been shredded in the last attack. "YOU BASTARD!"

"THIS IS MY TREASURE! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR DAMAGING IT!"

* * *

Nami was surprised at Luffy's sudden outburst. She'd previously thought that the carefree pirate had been a bit of an airhead. "I'd never thought he'd get so emotional over something like that…"

"That hat belongs to someone important to him" Gian responded solemnly. Nami looked at him at this "it was the man who inspired Luffy to become a pirate. They made a promise over that hat, that he'll gather a strong crew and see him again."

" _I honestly wondered what Shanks-san would look like with a hat on… Never really expected him to be a hat person to be honest…"_

Nami nodded slowly and looked back at Luffy with some newfound respect.

* * *

"Is it really that important?" Buggy was rather unconcerned.

"YES IT IS!"

"Well then you should've learned to protect it better!" Buggy's hand shot off again, this time its blades ripped clean through the straw hat, carrying with him. Luffy was mortified at the sight.

"What a joke! A hat being treasure? Treasure is gold, jewels and valuable things! Gyahahaha! How can that worn out thing ever be classified as treasure?!"

"That son of bitch!" Gian cried out "He has no idea what treasure means to people!"

"HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO SHANK'S HAT?!"

"WHAT?! That hat really does belong to that Red Haired bastard?!" Buggy yelled "No wonder it looks familiar, can't believe he still wore it after so long…"

"Huh? You guys were in the same crew?" Luffy was puzzled.

"HOLY SHIT SHANKS-SAN ACTUALLY DID WORK IN A CIRCUS?!" Gian face-faulted.

"SHUT THE HELL UP! Yes we were both pirate cabin boys on the same ship, you could say we were… comrades."

Luffy's fist suddenly collided with the Clown's stomach, knocking the air out of him. Luffy's eyes were completely rage filled at that comment.

"Don't compare yourself to someone like him!"

"I'll compare myself to him all I like! That bastard ruined me!"

"What happened between you and Shanks? Spill it!" Luffy ordered. Gian was rather perplexed as well.

"I can never forgive that man! He ruined my dreams! I will curse him for the rest of my life!" Buggy shouted. Luffy and Gian both looked at him with shocked expressions…

 **A/N: Yup here's chapter 8! I decided to skip much of Zoro vs Cabaji because it's just a really boring fight to be honest. Most of them are in East Blue, but hey what can you do? So that's why there's the little bit with Gian in the middle. Next chapter should be out sometime this weekend or next week and the Orange Town Arc would end with it!**

 **Anyway thanks for the continued support! Continue Reviewing!**


	9. Finishing up in Orange Town

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are owned by Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities and locations.**

 **Flashback**

 _On a pirate ship, a group of pirates were surrounding two members of their crew. One was a youth with a clown nose wearing a purple vest and a black hat. The other was a rather dashing looking young man with shining red hair, a white shirt with black stripes, and a yellow straw hat. These are none other than Buggy The Clown and 'Red Hair' Shanks when they were still mere pirate apprentices and the two were in the middle of a heated argument. Over what you ask? None other than whether the North or South Pole is colder than the other. Shanks claimed that the South was colder, while Buggy naturally claimed the North. The heated bickering were of great amusement to the rest of the crew; it was hardly the first time the two got into an argument and would likely not be the last and they were always entertaining._

" _I'm telling you I'm right!" Young Shanks shouted._

" _You got a lot of guts claiming that ya cocky little shit. How 'bout we fight each other to see who's right?!" Buggy shot back._

" _Bring it!"_

 _The two were ready to throw themselves at each other when suddenly pain descended upon their craniums. "Quit goofin' off! If you want to find out which is colder why dontcha go there yourselves?" It was none other than the first mate of the ship, a blond spectacled man with a neatly trimmed beard. The two young pirates were still glaring at each other when a crewmate on watch signaled another ship was speeding towards them. Their anger at each other grew into determined looks as they both drew their weapons, a straight sabre for Shanks and multiple knives for Buggy._

 _Later that day, the crew had emerged victorious and had managed to find some pretty good loot on the enemy ship. Buggy in particular was interested on a treasure map they'd found. It lead to a supposed treasure hoard hidden beneath the sea. However that was not the only valuable thing they found._

" _I heard they found a Devil Fruit." Shanks told Buggy as they relaxed on the deck._

" _What's that supposed to be?"_

" _They say that Devil Fruits can give their eater fantastic powers, pretty much anything is possible. The catch is that you lose the ability to swim afterwards though."_

" _That's stupid, why would any pirate eat something that won't let him swim?" Buggy scoffed; if he ate something like that he wouldn't be able to get that treasure under the sea…_

" _I head they also sell for a good price on the market. Up to 100 000 000 beri!" the minute Shanks said this Buggy's eyes lit up and an idea formed in his head._

 _The next day, Buggy staged an event where he ate the Devil fruit in front of the crew. However, nothing happened out of the ordinary. As the disappointed crew left, Buggy gained a devious smirk…_

 _Later that evening Buggy was snickering to himself as he held both the map and the Devil Fruit in his hands; as it had turned out, the fruit that he ate earlier in the day was none other than a fake! With these two items in his possession, Buggy let out a satisfied chuckle._

" _I can make a fortune if I sell this fruit. Then when I find that treasure I'll be able to form my own crew!" Buggy thought with glee. He was just about to enter a boat and make off with his loot before he was interrupted._

" _Yo Buggy, whatcha doin' here?" Shanks called out to him and Buggy hastily hid the fruit in his mouth._

" _Why are do you look like that? Don't go off stealing food or else the cook will be mad…" Shanks chastised. He then turned to leave and Buggy sighed in relief. That is, until Shanks remembered something._

" _Oh right, the captain was just-" this sudden turn of events startled the clown like pirate. One thing led to another and he accidently swallowed the whole fruit._

" _SHANKS YOU-!" Buggy raged at his fellow cabin boy until he realized that Shanks wasn't looking at him._

" _Um, what's that piece of paper in the sky?" Buggy turned in the direction and saw none other than the treasure map floating away._

" _MY MAP!" Buggy hurriedly jumped in an attempt to grab the map. However, the second he hit the water he felt all his strength instantly leave him and he could no longer move._

" _Oh no… don't tell me that eating a Devil Fruit actually takes away the ability to swim…" Buggy thought desperately._

 _Shanks was looking puzzled at this as he'd thought Buggy was always a good swimmer. It soon dawned on him that something was wrong and he immediately jumped into the water to save him._

 _From that day forward Buggy the Clown was never able to swim again._

 **Flashback end**

"So Shanks saved your life then." Luffy realized.

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT! Because of him, my plan had been delayed for 10 years!"

"You know… this story really speaks to me." Gian muttered.

"And what's that?" Buggy asked.

"You're a punk bitch you know that? You think life is so tough now that you can't go after some gold? Well suck it up! 10 years ago I was still stuck in a cell! Every week or so I had a psychotic scientist inject _fluid_ into my body! Do you know how much pain I went through?! So quit crying just because you couldn't get rich!" Gian shouted angrily. He really hated it when people complain about what they went through just because something went wrong with their life. Luffy's eyes widen at this; Gian told him a bit about his past but never about something like this! Off to the side, Nami was also shocked at this. She'd never expected the tall, wisecracking man to have such a painful life as a child. It made her think more about her current situation.

"Shut up! Because of him I realized I'll never be able to get that treasure! And if I can't have all the treasure in the sea then I'll get all the treasure on land instead! With my Bara-Bara no Mi's power I will do just that!" Buggy then spotted Nami carrying two bags of treasure. His eyes narrowed with anger.

"And that is why, no matter who it is, I won't let ANYBODY steal from me!" Buggy yelled out. His upper half instantly split and he flew towards the defenseless girl. Nami attempted to run but the Clown was close behind. Their distance grew closer until Buggy suddenly froze.

"Balls… my b-balls…" Buggy wheezed in agony. For back where his legs and lower half was, Gian had planted his foot straight into his nether regions.

"I am so _sick_ of you right now…" Gian snarled. "Sorry Luffy I didn't mean to interfere, but no way am I standing by to see someone trash talk the person who I owe my life to and act in such a fashion!"

"That's fine Gian, I would've done the same." Luffy responded; even he was slightly disturbed at the how straight forward his nakama was with this.

"Now then…" Gian gained a sadistic grin as he unleashed multiple barrages of stomps upon Buggy's tenders, which the pirate was now crying a full river. For some unknown reason, while Gian was stomping away, the air became filled with music, with the only words being "Stomp em in the Nuts" being repeated over and over again as a heavy beat sounded along with it.

"Where's that music coming from?" Luffy wondered.

"I dunno, it happens whenever I do something like this." Gian responded indifferently.

When he was done Buggy was almost unconscious on the ground. "Alright you clown bastard! Quit going after other people. Luffy is your opponent!" he then turned to Nami "You really need to get out of there! Just leave the treasure behind!"

"WHAT?! Why the hell would I do that?! Like hell I'd leave behind my treasure!" Nami shouted back. Unfortunately for her, this statement resulted in Buggy regaining consciousness.

" _YOUR_ treasure? Bullshit! That treasure is MINE!" the clown man shouted angrily. Suddenly Buggy's body split into numerous pieces as they proceeded to surround the girl. " **Bara-Bara Festival!"**

"HURRY UP AND RUN!" Gian shouted from the side. Nami didn't need to be told twice as she bolted away, carrying the bags with her, Buggy followed as expected.

"Damn it! He split into more pieces" Luffy gritted his teeth. Then he noticed that Buggy's legs were still on the ground…

Buggy was almost upon the thief until he felt more pain again! He turned to see Luffy doing all sorts of torture upon his unprotected legs. From tickles to pinches to even kicking the appendages. It was all sorts of discomfort for the Clown pirate but he continued his chase nonetheless

Nami took this chance to attempt to strike him with the bag of treasure. Buggy however, caught the bag in his hand.

"Let go!" she shouted.

"I let go?! You should let go of MY treasure!" Buggy snapped back and the two proceeded to have a tug of war over who gets the bag.

"…What am I looking at here?" Gian said with a blank look. Honestly, seeing a dismembered man chasing a ginger girl around while some one is unleashing havoc on said dismembered man's lower half is one of the last things he'd thought he'd ever see in his life.

" _Might as well get used to it I suppose, if what Goro-san told me back then is true this won't be the last time I see something this weird."_

The little struggle between the 3 was broken up when Luffy rushed up kicked Buggy in the face, knocking him into the bag. This ended up ripping the bag of treasure, which fortunately had the map of the Grand Line in it.

"Well we got the map, is there anything else we need here?" Gian muttered from the side.

"No there shouldn't be." Luffy answered.

Suddenly Buggy got back up! "Damn it… How dare you do this much damage to me?!" his body parts began to swirl around again " **Bara-Bara reassemble!"**

Buggy was now back to his full form! However, unlike before this time there was something different about-

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"

Buggy had been reassembled- minus his torso! By the way he looks now, one could've mistaken him for a midget. He was nothing more than a head with arms and legs.

"Are you looking for this?" a voice taunted. Buggy saw none other than Nami tie up his torso on the ground. A few feet away Luffy and Gian were straight up laughing at the hilarious scene.

"No wonder you're a thief, Nami!" Luffy laughed.

"Oh boy! Guess when it comes to treasure grabs you come up just a bit _short_! Skrehahaha!" Gian chortled. Even Nami giggled at that horrible pun. ( **G: STFU!)**

"Alright! Now it's my turn!" Luffy said as he got into position. He stretched his arms back and opened his palms. " **Gomu-Gomu no…"**

"CRAP!" Buggy shouted in vain.

"- **Bazooka!"**

The outstretched hands snapped back with fearsome force. It smashed into the Clown pirate so hard that it sent him flying, flying all the way towards the horizon. Eventually he flew so far that he disappeared from sight completely.

"Yeah! I win!" Luffy cheered.

"Finally, we got that over with." Gian breathed out.

* * *

Nami looked around and saw Luffy's torn up hat on the ground. After hearing what he said about how important it was to him she felt a bit guilty at its state. She felt slightly responsible. "Your hat's damaged…" she commented.

"Don't worry about it, I can still wear it." Luffy dismissed. "Besides I'm not angry at Buggy anymore now that I kicked his ass."

"Well, you did save me, so I'll patch it up for you.

"Huh?" apparently Luffy has a bit of a hearing problem.

"Yay! We're all friends now!" Gian clapped.

"There's also at least $10 000 000 beri worth of treasure here as well." Nami smiled at her luck; this would sure manage to get her total up by a lot…

"You're still thinking about that?" Gian quipped from the side. At this her smile dropped slightly

"Yeah… could you mind getting the other bag for me? It's kinda heavy…"

As Gian complied and went over to retrieve the other bag of treasure, Nami couldn't help but wonder what he said earlier was true.

" _10 years ago I was still stuck in a cell! Every week there was a psychotic scientist injecting fluids into me. Do you know how much pain I went through?! So quit crying just because you couldn't get rich!"_

Those words were haunting, and she could feel that they were genuine. At that moment she could see in his eyes all the pain that had been dealt to him. All of it masked over by the laid back man who would say random things and make terrible jokes.

"Hey, what your crewmate said earlier, was it true?" she asked Luffy.

"I don't know. He never told me this before. I'd always thought Shanks saved him from a pirate that was mistreating him. Plus it's his personal business, so I didn't think it was important. If you're curious go ask him yourself." Luffy was unnaturally serious when he heard that. His smile returned a second later however as he remembered that Nami had the map of the Grand Line.

"Oh right, you wanted this right? I guess I'll give it to you, you did save my life after all!"

"Alright! I got the map!" Luffy cheered "Wait, this means you'll come with us right?"

Nami frowned again "I told you already! I'm never becoming a pirate!" she paused for a bit then smiled "but I suppose we can travel together for a while!"

"In the end, it doesn't even matter!" Gian laughed as he returned with the other bag.

"Thanks Gian!" Nami smiled at him. Luffy then marched up to him.

"Oi, Gian! Nami wants to know why you were stuck in a lab." The blunt request caught him completely off guard.

"What do you mean?"

"Luffy! You can't just be so blunt about it!" Nami chided. Turning to Gian, her voice came out softer "sorry… I was kind of concerned about what you said to Buggy back then. About how you had tests did on you. B-but you don't have to tell us if you're not comfortable talking about it! I know it was probably a painful part of your life! You'd want to forget about it! I would know! After all right now I'm-" she suddenly stopped herself from revealing too much; that was one thing she can't tell them, it's too personal.

"No, it's something you all need to know. If we're gonna be nakama from now on I have to be honest here. But I'll tell the story later, right now we need to get Zoro and get out of the town."

The other two nodded and they went off to get their swordsman.

 _Later_

Zoro was awake by the time his crewmates caught up to him. "Did we win?" he asked.

"Nope! We all died a horrible death and we're having a party in hell right now. Of course we won! Why else would we be here?" Gian laughed.

"And I got the map and our navigator!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Shouldn't we check on the mayor as well?" Nami suggested. Everyone turned to see mayor Broodle still passed out. It was just then that the strawhats noticed a group of people coming towards them. The looks on the people's faces appear hostile.

"Hey! You people aren't from around here are you? What happened to the pirates that were terrorizing the town?"" one of them asked.

"Oh look, it's the townspeople. No, we're not, and you can see what happened for yourself." Gian answered.

"Oh, in that- THE MAYOR!" the townsfolk then notices the unconscious Broodle. "Who did this to him?!"

"Oh Gian had to knock him out" Luffy said nonchalantly. Gian stood off and made a "what can ya do?" gesture. This made the townspeople grow more hostile.

"You can't just say that out loud!" Nami shouted.

"But you said it too."

"Why would you hurt the mayor?!" the group advanced on the 4. "Don't tell us you're pirates as well!"

" _If we're not careful here, there could be problems…"_ Nami thought as she looked around with a worried look. Unfortunately for her, any hope of a non-violent confrontation was dashed when Luffy made a simple statement.

"Yes, we are pirates." Luffy answered as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Nami facefaulted while Zoro and Gian laughed.

"We knew it!" The citizens growled angrily.

"WHY DID YOU TELL THEM THAT?!" Nami yelled with shark-teeth

"How dare you destroy our town?! We're never gonna for give you for this!" the townsfolk brought their weapons up and advanced closer.

"So, we're running?" Zoro asked.

"About that time, yes." Gian shrugged.

"Shishishishi! RUN!" Luffy cackled as the 4 pirates fled from the scene with the townspeople were hot on their heels, shouting threats and profanities all along the way.

"You know what would go well with this? Some saxophone music." Gian chirped.

"Why that kind of music of all things?" Zoro asked.

"Well I thought it'd fit the pacing."

"…Can't argue with that."

"WHY ARE YOU TWO EVEN CONCERNED ABOUT THAT?!" Nami screeched. "AND YOU! WHY DO YOU ALWAYS SPEAK WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND?!"

"This is a good town." Luffy said.

"What do you mean by that?

"These people are willing to do their best to fight for their mayor, they'd be mad at us no matter what we'd say." Nami looked back and had to agree; the only reason they were being chased at all was because the townspeople were so passionate about their town. Beside her, Zoro and Gian smiled at this as well.

"Turn here." Luffy suddenly commanded, ignoring a yelp from Nami as they took a sharp left into an alleyway. The townspeople were about to follow when they suddenly found their path blocked by a small dog.

"Chouchou! What are you doing?!" the townspeople were shocked. Chouchou was blocking them from chasing the strawhats any further.

"Chouchou?" Nami was quite surprised.

"Dog!"Luffy cheered.

"Hey there champ!" Gian grinned at his canine comrade. Chouchou woofed a greeting back to them. Then turned to face the townspeople.

"Chouchou! Get out of the way! You're gonna let the pirates escape!" the townspeople protested. However the dog stood his ground and refused to move.

"Thanks doggie!" Luffy said as he ran off, the rest followed soon after. Gian gave a thumbs up to the small dog who gave his own bark of appreciation back.

"You see? This is why I like dogs."

 _Later_

The 4 had managed to get to the docks. Zoro was a bit out of breath so he had to be carried by Luffy on the way here. But everyone checked out alright. The boat that Nami used to get here was still tied to the dock.

"Well it was a good thing that Chouchou was there, how did we get into that situation again?" Nami moaned.

"Well it already happened, no use crying over spilt milk." Gian shrugged.

"Whatever, let's just get out of here. How did I get involved with you guys in the first place? Nami threw her bag of treasure into the boat. Suddenly 3 people revealed themselves to the strawhats.

"We've been waiting for you girl! We will get our revenge for what you did to us earlier!" it was the 3 pirates that had been marooned by Nami! Upon seeing this, Gian and Zoro both let out a collective groan.

"Seriously… why are you three still here? Get lost!" Zoro snapped at them.

"E-eh? Zoro-sama! Gian-sama! We were just k-keeping the boat safe for you guys! Yeah!" the 3 pirates paled when they saw who was among them. They tried to explain further but a snarl from Gian sent them packing into the water desperate to swim away.

"You guys know them?" Luffy asked.

"I'm forgetting about them already." Gian muttered.

"YOSH! Set sail!"

As they traveled further and further away from the docks, they suddenly heard a voice and turned their heads back.

"You brats! Wait!" it was none other than Mayor Broodle, who had awoken from his unwanted rest.

"I used to think that it was ok for me to die, but you 4 showed me just how much pain my death would've caused to the people that cared for me!" the mayor had tears in his eyes. "So thank you! And sorry! I'll return the favor someday!"

"It's fine, just take care of yourself old man!" Luffy shouted back.

"Do not worry child! The Lord forgives!" Gian shouted his own thing.

"… That doesn't make any sense…" Zoro and Nami deadpanned.

"…yeah you're right"

"Alright Gian, it's just us now. Will you tell us just what you meant by then?" Nami turned to him, as did Luffy. Zoro raised an eyebrow as well; Gian never told him much about his past, so he kind of want to hear about this.

"*sigh… it all started when I was born… well not really, but most of what I remember began from that though…"

 _One long tale later_

"… And that's how I've come to have a fear of needles and how I met the most important people in my life." Gian concluded. He had told them everything, from start to finish. He told them of his containment on Punk Hazard, his slavery at the hands of the Riddo pirates, him meeting Shanks, all the way to him travelling to East Blue and meeting Goro-san and his family.

The result was a period of silence in the little dinghy. Luffy was uncharacteristically quiet as he tried to comprehend his first nakama's past. Zoro was deep in thought as well. Nami was on the verge of tears after hearing this; it's reminding her so much of what's happening to her right now…

"That's everything, Nami. Don't worry about it though, I didn't go insane by the trauma, otherwise I wouldn't be here so you have nothing to worry about."

"T-that wasn't what-" Nami flushed at that statement, until she saw Gian snickering.

"I'm just kidding, but yeah if it makes you feel better knowing than that's pretty much it."

"I'm more surprised about how you're so open to it…" Nami whispered.

"Well, what can you do? You can't just let it cling to you forever. It's all in the past now, it's not gonna matter." These words made Nami think a bit deeply.

"Heh, our crew certainly has some interesting characters in it." Zoro smirked "Still, torturing someone just because they have can heal their wounds quickly just for the sake of science is disgusting."

"Yeah, don't worry Gian! When we see that Ceasar guy again I'll make sure to kick his ass!" Luffy huffed. Gian can't help but laugh at that.

"Heh, you'll have to get in line for that! I already called dibs." Gian smiled. His crewmates were all caring over something that happened years ago. He's glad to call them his friends.

" _That actually doesn't sound like such a bad idea actually, if I ever see that gas bastard again I'll show him just how effective his 'tests' were"_ his fists tightened at that.

"Well it's certainly a lot to take in…" Nami smiled lightly "But this only made me see you in a new light! You're a good person Gian!"

"Yeah! You're funny!" Luffy laughed.

"It's a shame your jokes suck so much… we'd get along much better that way!" Zoro grinned.

"You want to start something Roronoa?!" Gian mock snapped. The entire crew had a good laugh over that. Gian just sat back and smiled at his nakama, however there was more to his mind.

Even though he thought he revealed everything, a part of his heart seemed empty when he recalled everything. As if there was a blank space in his mind that previously held something…

" _Why can't I remember anything before the Lab? I only remember everything starting from age 15… that was when the memories of the experiments began, so what the hell happened before that?"_

It really bothered him, and for some reason he felt that it was a very major event that he was missing out… he continued to think about it until Nami brought him out of his stupor.

"Hey! Where's the other bag of treasure?!"

* * *

 _Back in Orange Town_

Mayor Broodle stared at the shrinking boat with a fond smile on his face. Those 4 were good kids. His attention was then brought to a strange bag a few ways beside him.

* * *

 _Back with the Strawhats_

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Nami's scream made everyone cover their ears.

"Their town was just destroyed, they need funds to do reparations and rebuild things." Gian stated.

"THAT ONE BAG HAD ROUGHLY 5 MILLION BERI IN IT!"

"Yeah, so there should be more than enough for them to fix up the town and buy themselves something nice. Go capitalism."

"WHAT IS CAPITALISM EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE?! THAT'S IT I'M GONNA MAKE YOU NEVER HAD THAT HEALING POWER!" she then jumped on him and proceeded to shake him back and forth. Beside them Luffy and Zoro both laughed. Gian just sighed and accepted his fate.

" _My nakama are weird…"_ Gian thought as he was subject to motion. It's certainly is gonna be interesting traveling with them, but he wouldn't give them up for anything.

 **A/N: I'll say it right now: East Blue Saga has like the least interesting things in the entire series. Not a whole lot of strong people to face. So from now on I'll probably skip some of the unimportant fights, and just make reference to them instead. This goes for everything, even once we get to the Grand Line.**

 **With that being said, the Orange Town arc is done and we can begin Syrup Village! Also on another positive note is that this story now has over 5k views! That means that over 5000 people at some point looked at this story and proceeded to read it over. So a big thank you to all you random viewers, as well as all those people who've favorited/followed this! You all give me such inspiration to continue this!**

 **Expect the next chapter to be up some time next week! I have some assignments to catch up on. Thank you all again and review please!**


	10. Arrival to Syrup Village

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are owned by Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership save for any OCs, locations and abilities**

"Annnnd, there! Finished!" Gian beamed as he held a finished drawing of Gaimon from the Island of Rare Animals. The crew had arrived there a few hours before and befriended the chest-man before they departed. Gian had just completed an entry in his log book. He'd managed to find it back in the ruins of a bookstore back in Orange Town. With this he hoped to illustrate some of his adventures for Rokuro-kun when he returns.

"I never expected you to be that good of an artist!" Nami claimed as she and the rest of the crew clapped at the drawing.

"The island I lived on had nothing to do except read the paper and watch things. So one day I just took the opportunity and started doodling around until eventually I became good at it." Gian replied.

"It's nice of you to make something like this for your little brother!" Nami beamed at that.

Gian grinned and finished the final touches on the journal entry. It was presented as a written page with a few illustrations:

 _ **Jan. 5**_

 _ **To Rokuro-kun:**_

 _ **I have seen some weird things today.**_

 _ **We went to this island filled with strange animals (we ran out of food, believe it or not). It made all my knowledge about biology go out the window. I thought the island was polluted and all the animals were mutations or something. Turns out they weren't but that doesn't make it any less weird. I'm sure your brother would love it there.**_

 _ **Anyways the best part thing was this… person we found. It is one interesting phenomenon. Apparently this person got stuck in a treasure chest many years ago and couldn't get out. Now, his entire body grew into it! Don't try this at home Rokuro!**_

 _ **We later learned that Gaimon (that's his name) had been unable to get the treasure on top of a hill due to his predicament. So, being the nice guy that he is, Luffy volunteered to get it for him. Do you know what was inside? I'll tell ya: absolutely nothing! They've been looted before we even got here! Gaimon was pretty upset but he apparently knew this though, and he even declined an invitation into our little crew to guard the animals he called friends. Remember Rokuro-kun, poaching is illegal in all of the 4 Blues, I think.**_

 _ **That was pretty much all that was on that little island, it was pretty interesting to say the least, until next time!**_

 _ **Gian-niisan**_

There were 3 previous entries in the book about how he met his other 3 nakama, and Gian plans to fill it out with lots more. He would make sure that his little brother gets very entertained when reading his log.

His attention was then brought to Nami as he noticed her getting into an argument with Luffy and Zoro.

"There's no way we can go to the Grand Line in just our current condition!" Nami stated. 4 people in a small boat to sail long distances in was nigh impossible. It was simple logic, however the two didn't seem to get it exactly.

"You're right, we need more meat!" Luffy stated

"More sake would be good too." Zoro added in his own cravings.

"I would also like some edible things." Gian said from the other boat.

Nami had to force herself not to facepalm "That's not what I meant! I meant that the Grand Line is the most dangerous ocean in the world! There will be hundreds of strong pirates all around! And they will have powerful ships!"

"Then let's get more nakama! Let see… we will need a chef. Oh! And a musician!"

"Musician again huh?" Zoro laughed.

"Are you stupid?!" Nami shouted with exasperation; her new travel companions were like pieces of wood!

"Anywaywe should reach an inhabited island if we keep heading in this direction. Hopefully we can get a ship there."

"YOSH! And some meat as well!"

"And sake" The two other men made Nami pound her head in frustration.

"I like that idea of getting a new ship." Gian stated "when more nakama join us it's gonna get crowded on just two small boats. No offense, but you guys fill out so much that I had to use the other boat. Not to mention ships have good uses for other things as well."

"What are you talking about? We made _you_ go on the other boat because _you_ keep taking up _our_ space!" The other 3 deadpanned.

"Not my fault I'm tall…"

" _At least Gian is sensible… somewhat…"_ Nami thought with a small smile.

* * *

 _Later_

"Well there's the beach" Gian pointed as the two boats sailed into so they can dock. The beach was rather simple and what you'd expect out of one.

"It's been a while since we hit land." Zoro grinned

"There should be a small village up that path." Nami pointed as she looked over a map of the island.

"Then… there should be food there right?" Luffy shouted ecstatically as he thought of the amount of protein he would be ingesting soon. "Meat! Meat! Meat!"

"Can you not think of that all the time?!" Nami snapped.

The crew chucked until Zoro noticed some movement in the bushes close to them. Everyone was instantly on edge when they became under fire. Strange projectiles were landing around them.

"This is awesome!" everyone except Luffy that is…

Suddenly laughter sounded from a hill above them. The crew looked up to see a teenage boy wearing brown overalls, a tanned head cover with goggles on it, and brown shoes. The boy had his hair puffed up, though most of it was under the hat. The most noticeable feature was his nose; it was quite a long one indeed.

"Hahahaha! I am the great Captain Usopp whose pirate crew took over this village!" as if on cue, 3 Jolly Rogers popped out from the bushes "If you're thinking of attacking this village, don't bother! I have 80 million followers on this island lying in wait!" he boasted.

"WOW 80 MILLION?!" Luffy, being Luffy, naturally was surprised. His 3 nakama just gave him a flat stare and shook their heads; this was expected by now but seeing it is still hard to believe.

"He's lying" Nami pointed out.

"CRAP SHE SAW THROUGH IT!" Usopp panicked.

"Wait, so there aren't 80 million men on the island?" Luffy blinked.

"I… I'm not even gonna comment…" Gian sighed

"W-well I may not have exactly 80 million followers but my followers are all very powerful!" Usopp tried again.

"You mean the 3 kids in those bushes there?" Zoro pointed. And with that the flags dropped and 3 little boys around 9-10 years old scurried out. Their names were Ninjin, Piiman and Tamanegi and they were Usopp's makeshift little crew. Upon hearing Zoro call them out they immediately screamed and ran off.

"Hey! Don't run you guys!" Usopp shouted in vain, and he was left facing the 4 pirates on his own.

"Wait… is this a-" Gian noticed a small metal ball in the sand near them.

"I've never seen a pirate use a pachinko before…" Nami commented. Indeed, in Usopp's hand there was a small green slingshot, evidently the weapon used to fire the projectile.

"Hahaha! You're an interesting guy!" Luffy laughed.

"Don't make fun of me! I am a man of great pride!" Usopp scowled "Everyone calls me Usopp the Proud! My skills with this slingshot is greater than that of a pistol!"

"Speaking of a pistol… bet your life on it." Luffy lowered his hat and looked at him with a serious look, which made the resident liar begin to sweat. "It's not a tool used to scare people.

Zoro then drew one of his swords and grinned menacingly; he got what his captain was trying to do, and to tell the truth it would be pretty funny. "The man who stands before you is a real pirate" he growled. When Usopp heard this, his sweating intensified.

"I want his legs…" Gian's eyes were at his amber color and his teeth appeared to be sharper, and he licked his lips for extra measures. Usopp now had a waterfall coming off his body and his was visibly shaking.

"A-as I thought… A real pirate talking is much more intimidating… incredible…" Usopp stuttered.

Everyone laughed at the result.

"I just repeated something that someone said, the pirate I deeply respect, Shanks" Luffy said with a smile

"Shanks-san always has a way with words it seems." Gian smiled as well; it's always good to hear things about his former benefactor.

At this Usopp perked up, "Shanks? Did you say the great pirate Shanks? You know him?"

"Yeah! Your dad's name is Yassop isn't it?"

"Whaaaa?! How do you know my father?!"

 _Later_

Everyone was sitting at a restaurant that Usopp had graciously shown them as an apology for his earlier display. Luffy naturally was absolutely jubilant at the mention of food and was now vacuuming down his servings. The rest were all eating their own food ravenously as well, albeit less voraciously than their captain, with the exception of Nami who ate normally.

"Your dad was really kind to me while I was a passenger on Shank's ship. He'd entertain me all the time with his story-telling and shooting skills." Gian smiled at the memory.

"Wow! So he was on Shank's ship!" Ussop welled with pride.

"Yeah! I heard stories about you all the time! I figured it was you when we met back at the beach." Luffy quipped.

"You two look very alike! Except for the nose maybe, must've got it from your mom's side."

"I never thought he'd be on such an amazing ship…" Usopp sighed longingly; his father was on a great pirate's crew having all sorts of adventures. He wanted to go on something like that eventually too. " _Maybe someday…"_

"Well this makes our discussion easier! Do you know where we can find a ship in this town?" Nami brought out the important questions.

Usopp sighed at this. "Unfortunately this is a very small village. I'm sorry but there is no way your request can be fulfilled."

Zoro suddenly remembered "On top of the hill… There is a large mansion. Do you think they can help us out?"

"You can't go there!" Usopp shouted out of the blue. Everyone was startled by this.

"ehehehe. AH! I just remembered there is something I have to do!" Usopp got up and was about to leave when Gian suddenly stopped him.

"Um… before you go… I have another question."

"Yeah what is it?"

"Your mother… her name was Banchina wasn't it?"

Usopp's eyes widened at that "Y-yes… Why does it matter?" his eyes were downcast; his mother's death is still a tough subject for him.

"Oh, don't misunderstand. I just wanted to drop something off. Your dad had a pocket watch made for her before her passing, and when he found out he'd always regret not having a chance to return here. I just volunteered to do it for him is all. Is there a memorial or something where I can drop it off?"

"Oh… I see. When she died she said she wanted to be with the sea so that she could be closer to him. There's a point on the hill that overlooks a part of the sea, you'll find a grave marker there. I really have to go now, but thanks for telling me this!" Usopp gave his regards then left.

"What was up with that?" Nami questioned after Usopp left.

"He probably has something he knows about the mansion." Gian shrugged "Anyways, you guys continue eating here. I take it we're gonna head to the mansion later on to ask for our ship so I'll meet you there. I gotta give Yasopp-san's watch to his wife." The others nodded and Gian got up to find the memorial.

Syrup Village was a rather small town with only a handful of people. The quaint environment was very peaceful. Gian found himself humming as he walked towards the place Usopp told him about. He opened the watch and saw a picture of a youthful woman with green hair and a long nose.

 **Flashback:**

 _8 years ago_

" _I'm bored…" Gian grumbled while he and a few of the Red Hair pirates lounged on the deck of the Red Force. He had been with them for almost a week now, and life had been interesting to say the least. Now, everyone was off doing their own thing._

" _You want to hear a story, Gian?" Yasopp suggested. Yasopp was always happy to spin a tale of adventure for anyone who lent an ear._

" _Yayyy! One of Yasopp-san's stories!" the young boy cheered. The curly haired pirate chuckled at his enthusiasm and immediately launched into a story about how he and the rest of the Red Hair pirates once took down 3 Sea Kings that thought they were ferocious enough to attack the ship of a Yonko. By the end of that story Gian was listening intently with a big grin of on his face._

" _Man, you really love these stories. You're just like my son back home, he's only a few years younger than you and he'd-"_

" _Always be curious and be so enthralled by any tale of adventure. Yeah I know already! I got it after the last 21 times you told me about him!" Gian gave him a flat look. Beside him other members of the Red Hair Pirates all laughed._

" _Well what can I do? I'm really proud of my wife and kid!" Yasopp chuckled, he had a slightly distant look in his eyes as he said that._

" _You have a wife Yasopp-san?"_

" _No shit, he had to bang someone in order to get a kid to come out." Another voice drew their attention; it was Triton, who had just got back from fishing. Yasopp gave him a pointed look and gestured at Gian, hinting to watch his language. "She's quite a looker too, nice green haired maiden. I honestly don't know why green-haired women love us so much. First it was Yas with his significant other and then there was Captain with that pretty barmaid in Foosha. When I get a lady I'm going to make sure she has a different hair color."_

" _Yeah,_ IF _you can get one." Yasopp joke, then laughed as he ducked under a conveniently thrown apple."_

" _Why didn't you bring them with us? I'm sure we would've had lots of fun!" Gian asked._

" _Like I said to you before, the seas of the New World are no place for a child and his mother. It's not like I didn't wish to bring them along. And maybe if I did it would've been better, I could've looked after her that way, and maybe she won't… she won't…" Yasopp couldn't finish the sentence. Gian's eyes widened as he realized what he was referring to. Triton and the others all came over and patted Yasopp on the shoulder, comforting him._

" _How…How did she…?" Gian whispered._

" _The messenger said that she had some unknown illness, nobody in the village knew what it was or how to cure it." Yasopp sighed at this "Life is fragile, Gian. You never know when someone precious to you is just going to pass on just like that. A part of me never wished to leave the two of them behind, but she was so supportive, encouraging me to follow my dreams… I never had the chance to tell her how grateful I am to her… never had the chance to tell her how much I love her…"_

 _There was silence on the ship, until Gian gritted his teeth and shouted out "Don't worry Yasopp-san! I'll go to your village and I'll tell her at her grave!"_

 _All eyes went up and stared in amazement at what the boy just said. "Gian…" Yasopp whispered._

" _I'm serious! Your town is called Syrup Village and it should be in East Blue right? I'm going there anyway so I'll go to the town one day and tell her everything you said! She deserves to know! You're a good person Yasopp-san! Anyone would be proud of what you've done!"_

 _Yasopp was taken aback by how determined the little boy in front of him was. Here was little boy they haven barely even know for even a week and he's making such a bold statement. He couldn't help but smile a genuine warm smile at the kid._

" _Wow… I don't know what to say… I never thought…"_

" _That's my boy!" Triton gave him a pat on the back, the other members of the crew all hooted and cheered as well. At the front of the ship, silently observing them all, Shanks and Benn Beckman gave a warm smile of their own, happy to see what kind of a person their little passenger is._

" _Just place this watch at her gravestone if you can find it. She gave it to me all those years ago as a good luck present. You can find her picture in there. Man, I'm really liking you right now! I'm sure Banchina, that's her name by the way, would find you great as well!" Yasopp laughed "hey! Now that I'm feeling better, how about I show you some sharpshooting tricks! Watch as I shoot a fly off Sail-head's hair!" he then took aim at Triton's Mohawk and fired a shot, the bullet obliterating a passing fly and resulted in a surprised yell as said navigator fell on his butt._

" _ASSHOLE! YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME DEAF?!" Triton roared as the rest of the crew erupted in to amused laughter._

 **Flashback end:**

It had been 8 years since that promise, the turbulent life he led eventually pushed this thought to the deepest reaches of his mind. Gian had never forgot about that promise but life and his new family have always taken up much of his time. With the crew passing by Syrup Village there seemed like no better time to do this.

He made it to said hill and sure enough there was a small, simple wooden plaque. It had to be the makeshift grave of Yasopp's deceased wife. Gian sat down, enjoying the tranquility of the location; whoever buried her really picked a great location.

"Hello there, I don't think you know who I am which is natural because nobody aside from some people close to me do anyway. My name is Gian, and I just came by to drop something off." Gian began "it's the watch you gave him when he first set out to sea with Red Hair Shanks as a symbol of your love and a charm to keep him safe on the seas. I ran into him a few years ago, he always meant to return it but due to his career choice he didn't have a whole lot of option you know? So that's why I'm here, well part of the reason anyway"

Talking to this deceased person made him feel at ease "Yasopp-san is in good hands right now. He has a good crew that act like his family and many adventures to keep life fresh. Well to be honest it's been 8 years since I last saw him but when he's on the crew of one of the most powerful pirates of the seas I'm sure he's doing just fine. My crew and I met your son by the way, earlier at the beach. He's a pretty funny guy. Is a bit of a compulsive liar but hey everyone has some personality quirk right? If he's even half the man his old man is then I'm sure he'll turn out just fine."

"Anyway it's been good talking to you. Even though you probably can't hear me I'm glad I got everything out. I actually really would've like to meet you in person; it would be nice to meet the woman Yasopp-san loves so much, maybe in the next life I suppose. Well I have to go now, gotta make sure my nakama don't get into any trouble with the locals over some stupid misunderstandings. I'll just leave this here now, your husband and son loves you very much." Gian smiled as he strung the pocket watch behind the cross, then walked towards the fancy mansion where they'd hope to get a new ship from. As he was walking he noticed another figure walk up the hill as well, but he didn't pay it any mind. Unbeknownst to him, their fates will be connected svery soon…

* * *

Before he reached the place he could hear commotion coming from ahead of him. Letting out a sigh he walked to the mansion. It was much bigger obviously than the other houses in the small town and its white walls were very clean. He can make out shapes close to be what would be the entrance to the big house. Some of them were Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and those 3 kids. Gian also saw a figure in the trees which looked like Usopp. The other two shapes were people he hasn't seen before. One was a young blond girl wearing a simple looking white skirt looking out the window. The other was a clean-cut man with glossed hair, a fancy suit with golden designs that look like… poop? (Gian had to double take) and a pair of glasses. Gian guessed that he was the caretaker of the house

"You people are trespassing! Leave immediately!" the butler-figure asserted to the group while pushing his glasses up with the palm of his hand

"Klahadore, these people are…" The blond girl tried to interject.

"You need not explain, I will listen to your explanation later." Klahadore turned back to the group with a hard glare "Now, I would like all of you to leave this place, or do you have something to say?"

"We would like a ship-" Luffy began but was cut off almost immediately.

"Absolutely not!" Klahadore shouted.

"Hey now! No need to be so stingy!" the group turned to saw Gian walking towards them, to which the Strawhat's faces lightened up. "I leave for a few minutes and you almost got into a fight with the locals…"

"And who are you supposed to be?"

"I'm Gian, I'm with these guys, as they probably told you already we need a ship because there isn't enough space for me, among other reasons." Gian said, ignoring the correction made by the rest of his crew.

"Like I said already, no!" Klahadore snorted.

"Hey come on! It's not like we're asking for a small loan of a million beri or something. Let's talk this through-"

"Usopp-kun come down at once!" Klahadore ignored what he had to say. A panicking Usopp then fell down the tree.

"I've heard lots about you, you're famous in the village. To face such dangers at a young age, it's rather impressive." Klahadore muttered sarcastically. Usopp grinned with pride.

"You may call me Captain Usopp! It can help spread my name around!" the long nosed teen boasted.

"Captain eh?" the butler chuckled with a hint of malice "I even heard stories about your father."

"What?"

"Klahadore! Cease this at once!" the girl shouted out. She could see where this was going and had to stop it before it got out of hand. But her protest fell on deaf ears.

"You're nothing but the son of a low-life pirate!" Hearing this Usopp's face darkened. Luffy's eyes shot up as well and Gian's face dropped into a frown.

"Whoa! There's no need for-"

"Anything you do won't be much of a surprise but would you please stop pestering the young miss?" Klahadore sneered.

"What did you call my father?" Usopp's anger was growing. People can call him a liar all they want; he actually encourages it! But this, this was not something that should be said.

"You come from a completely different world from the young miss, what is it that you want? Is it money?"

"Klahadore that's enough! Apologize to Usopp-san immediately!" the girl commanded

"Kaya, be careful that's dangerous!" Usopp shouted as he saw the girl was leaning further out the window.

"Why should I apologize to this ruffian young miss? I am speaking the truth. I do sympathize with you though, you must have so much anger inside you, anger at your father for leaving you and your mother behind to look for treasure as a pirate!" Usopp was finding it harder and harder to control his temper.

"This has gone on long enough!" Gian snarled as he forced his way past his crewmates "I won't allow you to speak ill of Yasopp-san while I'm here! You don't even know what kind of person he is!"

"I know enough, what he does is proof of that. I don't know why he's so agitated, he can just do what he's always done, lie! He can just say that he has nothing to do with him, or that he isn't his birth father-"

"Shut up!" That was the last straw for Usopp, he immediately ran forward and cocked back his fist, landing a punch on the butler's face and knocking him down, shocking everyone around him, with the exception of Gian as he was borderline about to go ahead and maul him as well.

"See? Resorting to violence immediately! He's just like his father" Klahadore winced as he sat up.

"I am proud that my father is a pirate! He's a brave warrior of the sea! It's true that I am just a liar but as the son of a pirate his blood runs through my veins! That kind of honor can't be imitated!" Usopp declared.

"Pirates are brave warriors of the sea you say?" Klahadore sneered "a pretty naïve thought, but that just shows what kind of blood you have! Lying and resorting to violence when you don't get your way, all you wish to do is to get close to Miss Kaya and acquire her wealth! The fact that your dad is a pirate is proof enough!"

"HOW DARE YOU INSULT HIM AGAIN?!" Usopp shouted as he grabbed the butler by the collar and was about to punch him again.

"I'm gonna break his legs!" Gian yelled as well but was held back by Nami and Zoro, only just.

"Gian calm down!"

"Usopp-san! Please stop!" Kaya pleaded. She didn't want to see any fighting breakout in front of her. This made Usopp pause and lower his fist after some thought.

"Leave this place, do not come back here again." Klahadore retorted as he dusted himself off.

"Yeah you don't have to tell me, I would've left regardless, I'm not coming back here ever again." The teen then walked away, not looking back.

"I hope you're proud of yourself!" Gian hissed venomously "I'll have you know that Yasopp-san was one of the people who rescued me, you better not let me catch you badmouthing him again."

"This isn't any of your business, I suggest you don't associate yourself with him either, not that you're much better yourself." The butler snorted dismissively.

"Oh I outta-" Once again Gian had to be held back.

"You stupid butler! Our captain isn't like that" Piiman shouted at the man, he was then joined by Ninjin and Tamanegi

"Baka!"

"Baka!"

"Baka!" for some reason Luffy joined in, to which Zoro bonked him on the head.

"YOU'RE REAL PIECE OF SHIT YOU KNOW THAT? LET GO OF ME NAMI I'M GONNA RIP HIS FACE OFF! YOU… TESTICLES! AND NO SHAFT! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR SHAFT YOU SON OF A BITCH?!" Gian on the other hand was way too vocal for this.

"Gian, don't say things like that in front of kids!" Nami scolded.

"Enough! All of you leave immediately!" Klahadore has had enough of this. Everybody didn't need to be told twice and turned around, but not before Gian turned and flipped him the bird.

 _Later_

Usopp was standing on a hill overlooking the sea, the same hill that Gian had been earlier, silently looking at the rolling waves. He was still simmering over what Klahadore said to him. Even if he knew it wasn't true, he let them get to him and he wasn't feeling very well because of that. He looked at the small cross that now had the pictured pocket watch hanging from it. His mother probably wouldn't like hearing those words either, but she knew the truth better than anyone else so she would've reacted in a better fashion than he did.

"Yo!" a voice startled him. He turned and saw Luffy hung upside down from the tree close to him. He also saw Gian walking towards him with a wave and saying "I figured this is where you were."

"Oh it's just you two, couldn't you two greet people normally next time? What do you two want?"

"Nothing really" was the response that he got.

A bit of silence held between the 3 people, until Usopp finally broke it. "That damn butler… how dare he insult my father?"

"Yeah, I don't like him either. It doesn't matter what anyone says. Yasopp is a great pirate!" Luffy agreed.

"Isn't he? In this great age of pirates my father sails the unknown seas! I'm really proud of him, but that caretaker just stepped all over that pride! I'll never forgive him for that!"

"Like I said before, people hate us 'cause they ain't us. As long as you know what your dad does, don't give two damns about what others might say. Yasopp-san is one of the bravest people I know, that entire crew is! I've seen it with my own eyes, they can be the kindest people you meet, but the minute someone messes with one of them they'd make you regret it faster than you can say hoopla." Gian patted him on the back, assuring Usopp a little.

"But enough of that! Are you going to see that girl again? Kaya or whatever her name was, you really should; I can tell she cares a lot about you. Quite the cutie as well! Your mom and dad would be so proud if they knew you landed a babe like that! Well at least your dad would anyway, but I'm sure if your mom was still living she would like her." This made Usopp flustered.

"I-it's not like that!" he protested.

"Well… in that case I outta try my luck then! Skrehahaha I'm just kidding." Gian chortled when he saw Usopp's outraged face, while Luffy laughed on the side. "She's a bit too young for me and I like my women more mature, darker hair would be nice too, no offense to her. I'm serious about seeing her again though, she's a true friend."

"Um… Well… I don't know. Maybe if that butler comes and beg me I might consider it." Usopp answered as his blush faded.

"You mean that butler?" Luffy suddenly pointed towards the shore.

"Yeah that one" Usopp said before he realized what's going on "Wait him?! What is he doing here?!"

Everyone looked at the shore before lowering themselves to the ground, as they saw none other than Klahadore the caretaker walked down the beach with an unreadable expression on his face…

 **A/N: We hit double digits!**

 **Added some new things to this part of the story with the journal and Gian's talk. The whole scene with Gian is just to expand a bit more into his time with the Red Hair Pirates. The journal entries are going be a reoccurring theme as the story goes on, usually at the end of an arc.**

 **Nothing really much else to say, other than that this story is going along swimmingly (get it? Because it's about pirates and pirates are on the sea and water and-)**

 **G: stop… just… no…**

 **Oh like you can do any better!**

 **G: I can and I do it all the time**

 **No you don't- back on track love that you people like reading it so much! Next chapter should be out sometimes next week! Keep in touch and I'll see you again!**

 **Remember to review!**

 **G: MY JOKES ARE SUPERIOR TO YOURS!**


	11. Attack of the Black Cat Pirates

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership to anything save for any OCs, abilities and locations.**

The 3 youths crouched as low as they could as to avoid not being seen. Klahadore continued to walk down the path, until they saw him approaching something that was lying on the ground. Upon closer inspection they realized that it was another man, this one wearing a dark blue jacket and hat with a white shirt underneath. The man had grey stringy hair and a pair of heart shaped glasses that covered his face as well as some sort of stump growing on his chin. The 3 boys focused, trying to hear what they're saying.

"Jango… didn't I tell you not to attract attention in the village, yet you went ahead and sleep in the middle of the road…" Klahadore muttered.

"I didn't attract attention at all." The man now known as Jango retorted.

"Well are the preparations underway?" Klahadore said sharply.

"Of course, we can begin any time, the operation to assassinate the lady of syrup village." Jango said with a sinister smirk.

Upon hearing this all color drained from Usopp's face "a-assassinate… Kaya?!" Luffy and Gian were shocked as well.

"Don't say assassinate, it sounds too wicked." Klahadore reprimanded.

"Oh right, you wanted it to look like an _accident_. Smart" Jango corrected himself

"What are they talking about?" Luffy was a bit slow

"That's what I'm trying to figure out!" Usopp snapped.

"I have a feeling we're not gonna like this… what did he mean by accident?" Gian frowned

"Don't forget, we can't just kill Lady Kaya. She has to die in an accident, got it?"

"Of course, we'll wait for your signal and attack the village. Then we kill her, and you can inherit her wealth"

"Don't be stupid, how can an outsider inherit her fortune?" Klahadore snapped.

"…By working hard?"

Klahadore had to resist the urge to punch him there "No! Working hard won't do anything! Now listen, this part is the most important part of the plan. Before you kill her, you need to hypnotize her to sign a will, which will say that she leaves her entire fortune to her butler Klahadore."

Klahadore's face then turned sinister "that will be the first step of taking over her estate. It's the perfect plan. I spent 3 years winning over the trust of those villagers, they have no reason to doubt me."

"You honestly spent 3 years as a butler for this? It really surprised me back then… Captain _Kuro_. 3 years ago you claimed you no longer wished to be a pirate, used one of your subordinates as a scapegoat to make the world think that you were executed, and began your plan… your title still holds true, Kuro of a Hundred Plans." Jango recollected.

" _That name…"_ Gian's eyes widened as he realized he saw it in the newspaper once.

"Never refer to me by that name again, I gave it up 3 years ago…" Klahadore – Kuro- reminded him sharply "I just want lots of money and to no longer be hounded by the government. That makes me a peaceful citizen"

"To the point where you even killed the girl's parents, you sure are dedicated to this peace." Jango pointed out.

"Oi, that wasn't my fault. Her father died of natural causes, rather convenient but unexpected I had nothing to do with it." Kuro corrected him.

"Whatever, it's not my business. Anyway just give us the signal soon, we've been waiting for nearly a week and we're getting impatient." Offshore, in the distance, a black ship with the figure head of a black cat could be seen drifting in the water.

Back with our trio, Usopp was freaking out! Who knew that Kaya's caretaker was actually one of the most feared pirates in East Blue? However, the emotion was not shared by everyone in the group…

"What are they talking about? Is there trouble?" Luffy asked as if he never heard anything.

"Weren't you listening?! We're gonna die!"

"I never thought Kuro would still be alive… I remembered reading about his execution in the paper. Kuro 'of the Hundred Plans' is one of the cruelest pirates by East Blue standards, and apparently very intelligent too. But his reign of terror supposedly ended 3 years ago. Who would've guessed he'd pull something like this?" Gian whispered.

" _Though I've seen crueler people who aren't pirates. Nobody can come close to that Gas-bastard…"_

"Exactly! We're doomed! The village will be attacked and Kaya will be in danger!" Usopp yelped.

"Then we need to warn them, we'll go and fetch Nami and Zoro and you can get everyone else, or you can go with Luffy and I'll go-"

"Hey you! Don't you dare hurt that girl!"

"…Or we can do that, yup! That's fine as well" Gian sighed as he stood up beside Luffy. Usopp faceplanted as he saw the strawhat kid drawing attention to them.

"Who are they?" Jango asked.

"Well, hello there Usopp-kun, care to join us?" Kuro's voice was laced with venom.

"Ahh! I've been spotted!"

"Tell me, you didn't happen to hear anything in particular did you?"

"N-N-No! Of course not! I didn't even know you said something! Did-" Usopp stuttered out; his entire body was shaking at this point as he hoped his lie would work (who was he kidding?) Unfortunately for him, that would not work.

"We heard everything!" Luffy shouted.

"I may have missed the part where you talked about the weather but yeah I got most of the conversation." Gian admitted.

"DO YOU WANT THEM TO KILL US?!" Usopp comically facefaulted.

"In that case… I guess there is no choice then. Jango, take care of this." Kuro motioned to his crewmember. The strange man grinned and reached into his coat, pulling out string with a ring attached to it.

"Oh my God, you can't be serious!" Gian scoffed "hypnosis? That stuff doesn't work! It's just a sham used to swindle old people of their money!" Living with Goro Ibuki has turned Gian into quite the skeptic on certain things!

"Oh you'll be surprised! When I utter the words ' _One, Two, Jango'_ you will both fall asleep!" Jango snickered as his pendulum began swinging back and forth. " **One… Two… Jango!"**

"Yeah, yeah, I heard the whole shlock already. What's next you're gonna t-t-tell me tomrmrmrmrm-" Gian never finished his sentences as his head drooped down and he fell into a deep slumber. Beside him Luffy was in the same state. The two of them tilted forwards and crashed into the ground at the bottome of the cliff. However, they were not the only victims of the effect.

"Dammit Jango! I thought this problem of yours was fixed!" Kuro hissed with exasperation. As it happens, Jango himself was susceptible to his own technique and was now snoring away in his captain's arms.

At this point Usopp was frozen in fear at the sight of his two companions lying at the foot of the cliff. And it just so happens that there was a killer pirate a few feet away from him. They were going to be killed, and there was nothing he can do.

"They fell from that height? The fall itself should be enough to kill them… didn't mean to do that. What about the long nose kid?" Jango muttered as he woke up.

"Forget him, set the plan to commence tomorrow. Until then make sure you aren't seen." Kuro waved dismissively.

"T-tomorrow?"

"Yes, and nothing you do will change anything Usopp-kun." Kuro sneered.

Usopp was beyond scared right now. His entire village would be slaughtered tomorrow if he didn't do anything. Immediately he turned tail and ran towards the town. He had to warn everyone and fast!

"Should we go after him?" Jango asked.

"No, nobody will believe him. He is a liar after all. My plan won't fail, and no one will get in my way!" Kuro responded with confidence.

 _Sometime later_

"Grrrn…" Gian's eyes fluttered open as he found himself lying face down in the ground. It turns out that the Goji-Goji no mi, in terms of recovery also reduces the time he needs to sleep. Gian never was a long sleeper, even though he likes to sleep in, so waking up wasn't as hard as it could've been. He looked to the side to find Luffy still sleeping soundly. A feeling of bitterness welled up inside of him; he really shouldn't have fallen for something that stupid, yet he let his guard down and payed the price.

" _Goro Ibuki… you are a FUCKING LIAR!"_

* * *

On the island of Solgell, said inventor suddenly dropped to his knees and clutched his chest in horror. Somehow he had an epiphany on one of his beliefs, and that belief had just been proven wrong.

* * *

"Well what will we do now? It's not like the villagers would believe us over their supposedly pure caretaker…"

Just then he heard noise above him and look up to see Zoro, Nami and the 3 kids.

"You guys decided to take a nap?" Zoro chided.

"Please don't mention sleep." Gian grumbled. He then tapped Luffy on the head, waking him up in the process.

"Where did that butler go?! I'll kick his ass!" Luffy shouted.

"Hold your horses hot shot, we have to bring these guys into the loop. Luffy, can you tell everyone here what happened? I got something to do."

"Where are you going?" Nami asked

"I've got to make sure Usopp doesn't get run out of town."

 _Meanwhile_

" _Nobody believes me!"_

That was the thought that was rampant in Usopp's mind at the moment. He had done what anybody would've done in this situation, run into town immediately to alert everyone of what is to come. However, doing so he left out a critical component. Years of lying have cemented that view of him in the eyes of the villagers, and no matter how much he pleaded his warnings fell on deaf ears to the people who just brushed it off as another one of his practical jokes. Right now there was only one last person he had to warn; he only hopes that this time, his words will go through.

Rushing to the mansion, he picked up a pebble and threw it at Kaya's window. When he got no response, he tried again. This time the window cracked open and Kaya's blond hair could been.

"Usopp-san! I'm so happy you came back! I thought you were never going to come back!"

"You need to run Kaya! Or else you will get killed!" Usopp shouted with a hint of despair in his voice

"W-what do you mean? What is going on?" Kaya hesitantly asked.

"You've been tricked! That butler is a pirate! His crew is going to attack the village tomorrow and you will be killed!"

"W-what? Klahadore can't be a pirate! You're joking again aren't you…?

"I'm serious! I heard it with my own ears. Klahadore is a pirate who, for the last 3 years, posed as your caretaker just so that he can claim your fortune! One of his old crewmembers will lead his crew to attack the village tomorrow! You have to believe me!" Usopp pleaded desperately.

"Usopp-san… This isn't funny anymore!" Kaya shouted.

"No! It's not what-"

"I can't believe you would do something like this! What Klahadore said was wrong but how could you spread lies about him just to get back at him?!" Tears were beginning to form in the girl's eyes.

"I'm not lying! It's true!" Usopp was getting really desperate now. If Kaya doesn't believe him, then…

"I loved your previous lies, they were fun! This one isn't! It's plain despicable!"

"He's not lying! I heard it too!" The two looked up to see Gian running towards the mansion. "The plan's pretty creative if I'd say so myself. To think he'd go that far." Usopp was both glad and surprised to see that his companion didn't get killed. " _Guess that means Luffy is fine as well."_

"See Kaya? It's not a lie this time!"

"I refuse to believe it! Klahadore is not a liar!"

"Well I ain't calling him a truther! Look miss, the fact is that your butler used to be one of the most dangerous pirates in East Blue, and he was supposedly killed off 3 years ago! When did that pansy ass come to this island? Think about it, it all adds up! Stay woke!" Gian tried to convince her further but it was in vain.

At this point, other people in the house noticed the two of them.

"Stay away from Lady Kaya!" They shouted as they pulled out their guns.

"Come on! We have to go! Once tomorrow comes you'll understand!" Usopp urged and tried to grab her arm. However, he was deflected with a slap.

"You're despicable Usopp-san!" Kaya cried.

"Ooooh, she's got teeth…" Gian grimaced "Guess this is going to be difficult." He too attempted to reach out, but before he could do anything, another man with hair that reminds Gian of sheep wool burst into the room. This is Merry, the caretaker second to only Klahadore.

"You ruffians get away from her!" he shouted and pulled out a gun as well.

"Goddammit! Everything got out of hand! Usopp we need to leave!" Seeing no other way to convince her the two then bolted away from the window. However, Merry's gun was still trained on Usopp.

"No! Don't shoot!" Kaya shouted weakly. However, Merry accidently pulled the trigger in a rush, the bullet shot toward Usopp, but at the last moment was blocked by the body of another.

"Gian!" Usopp shouted as he saw the black haired youth stumble.

"Don't worry, just keep running!" Gian yelled back as he got back up. At this point the other villagers have arrived as well.

"Catch them! Stop them from harming our Lady any further!" Merry cried. Naturally the village turned on them.

"Why… Why won't anyone believe me?" Usopp gritted his teeth.

"Don't worry about that right now, we need to GTFO!"

"What does that mean?"

"It means FUCKING RUN! AND STOP ASKING SO MANY QUESTIONS WE'RE ABOUT TO GET LYNCHED!" the two of them ran as fast as they could with the villagers on their tail. More bullets peppered the ground around them. "What the hell?! Hands Up Don't Shoot!"

 _Later_

"Are you sure you're alright?" Usopp asked Gian on their way back to the cliff. The pair, after some time, managed to evade the angry mob.

"No, I'm all left. Yeah don't worry about it I heal fast." Gian grinned and lifted his shirt, which was now absent of a bullet hole "So… that went downhill pretty fast."

"DAMN IT! Now there's nothing I can do about this!" Usopp shouted in frustration. Before Gian could respond, the sound of footsteps was heard and Piiman, Ninjin and Tamanegi ran towards them along with the rest of the Strawhats.

"Captain, you're alive!" the three shouted with relief "don't worry we know the whole story! We always thought that Klahadore was weird. Let's go warn the villagers!"

Usopp's eyes widened when he remembered what had happened when he had tried to warn them before. In his mind he realized that he can't get anyone else involved.

"A-actually, I was only kidding like I've always have! I was really pissed at Klahadore for what he said so I went around saying that he's a pirate!" Usopp laughed. Soon the kids were laughing with him.

"So Strawhat-niichan and Gian-niichan were both tricked!"

"uhhh… Yeah! Ya sure got me there Usopp!" Gian let out a shaky laugh. Lying really wasn't his best talent.

Soon, however the 3 kids gave a rather disappointed look at their captain.

"I'm starting to lose respect for you captain…"Ninjin muttered

"Yeah… even though Klahadore was a jerk you can't just spread rumors like that…" Tamanegi's eyes were low.

"To think we used to respect you so much… we should go home…" Piiman finished. With that the 3 children began to walk back to their houses. Usopp looked at them with a hurt look; he knew this was coming and it had to happen, but it still stung.

"It'll pay off in the end." Gian assured him.

 _Later that night_

"Why did you tell them all that?" Luffy questioned him.

"I'm a liar… no one would believe me anyway. It was naïve of me to think that they would" Usopp answered.

"Also he made sure that the kids won't be hurt." Gian explained.

"Even if it is naïve, the truth is still the truth" Zoro said.

"So are the pirates really going to attack tomorrow?" Nami asked.

"Yes... but everyone will think it's a lie… and that is exactly what's going to happen! I will stop these pirates and make sure that people would think it's just a lie! It's my duty as a liar!" Usopp declared with bravado.

"Even though they chased me, even though they shoot at me… This is my home and I love it! I will protect everyone!"

At this everybody grinned.

"Never knew you were that kind of person. You ditch your friends so that you can face the enemy yourself." Zoro grinned while he adjusted his swords.

"Let me get this straight, all the pirates' treasure is mine alright?" Nami naturally thought of that.

"…Did you miss the entire point of that speech? But anyway hot damn! Never knew you had that in you! If Yasopp-san knew about this he'd never shut up about you ever again." Gian grinned at his former friend's child.

"Alright! We'll lend you a hand! Just tell us who to fight!" Luffy cheered.

Usopp was taken aback by all this "You guys… want to help me? Why?"

"Because they have more people." Luffy said simply.

"And after a speech like that, anyone would want to fight by your side. If Yasopp-san knew that his son charged head first into danger while I was here he'd blow my head off the next time he sees me." Gian affirmed.

"You can reconsider if you're scared." Zoro nodded.

"M-me? Scared? I am the fearless Captain Usopp! I fear nothing, no matter how many they have!" Usopp boasted, except that his legs are quaking at the thought and gave him away.

"I'm serious! This is Kuro's crew we're talking about here! It doesn't matter if I'm scared, I'm not accepting pity!"

"Look, I already said my reason. I'm not gonna just sit around while the children of someone that helped me risk their life." Gian didn't budge.

"If we were pitying you, would we put our lives on the line?" Luffy asked with a grin.

Tears filled Usopp's eyes. He had only just met them recently and already they're willing to help him. "You guys…" he cried a waterfall as he was overcome with emotion. The other 4 just sighed and smiled at their companion.

 _Later_

Usopp had given an overview of what they would do the next morning. Everyone had known their places soon enough. The plan was to defend a hill, as it is the only way into the village. If they manage to hold it, then they would win.

"Alright enough talk, what are you all good at?" Usopp asked.

"Stretching." Luffy grinned

"Slashing" Zoro drew a sword.

"Stealing" Nami smiled.

"Breaking bodies, making awesome jokes, I can also make a mean latte, oh where to begin?" Gian laughed.

"You're jokes are horrible!" Zoro and Nami argued.

"Ignore them, they know not what true talent in comedy is. I can also-"

"Focus, Gian!"

"Great! And I'll be hiding!" Usopp declared.

"You fight too!" the four shouted.

"Kidding! I'll be your backup."

Usopp had managed to cover the hill with oil, an expertly set trap in his opinion.

"This way, when our enemy tries to climb up, they will slip and then we can finish them off! Now all we need to do is defend it."

"That's pretty smart." Nami complemented.

"Well you're more of a planner than your dad is" Gian affirmed

"Just be careful not to get caught in it yourself." Zoro warned "It's almost dawn, prepare yourselves."

With that the 5 lie in wait for their cue.

 _Later_

" _Where are they"_ was the thought on everyone's mind. They have been waiting for some time now for the pirates to come ashore. But no ship, nothing bigger than a grasshopper in fact, have been seen in that entire time.

"They could be late or having an early breakfast?" Luffy wondered.

"Not everything revolves around food you know…" Gian sighed. His eyes suddenly shot up "Hold on… where are our boats?"

Everyone got what he was referring to

"OH CRAP! I FORGOT!" Usopp shouted in panic "There's another hill that's almost exactly the same as this one! Except that its north from here! I'd thought that they'd be here since Kuro met his first mate here!"

"Our boats are on the north shore! That's where all my treasure is!" Nami shouted as well.

"Well then let's go! I'll get there in 10 seconds!" Luffy shouted and raced towards the north end with Usopp and Nami hot on his tail. The other 2 nodded and followed as well.

Just as Usopp predicted, the Black Cat Pirates indeed docked on the north shore. He had managed to make it there first, and upon seeing the amount of people coming ashore began to hesitate.

"Well, look who it is? The brat that was eavesdropping on us yesterday. Do you think you stand a chance?" Jango sneered at the liar.

"You better not do anything! Or else my 100 million followers would strike you down where you stand!" Usopp lied. To his credit, it seemed like the hypnotist actually bought the façade. Unfortunately the rest of the crew did not.

"Captain… he's lying…"

"CRAP THEY SAW THROUGH IT!"

"You… how dare you deceive me?!" Jango seethed. He then pulled out his pendulum again. "After I say the words ' _One, Two, Jango'_ you will move aside for us!"

" **One, Two, Jango!"**

However, Usopp instead was clutching his head in pain as a familiar orange haired girl burst on the scene.

"All the treasure is mine! I won't let you take a single Beri!" Nami pointed to the two small boats.

"That really hurt you know?!" Usopp snapped.

"Well that's what you get for almost letting them steal my treasure. Besides, isn't Luffy supposed to be here right now?"

 _Meanwhile_

"Luffy where are you going?" Gian shouted as he and Zoro chased afteir their captain.

"North! But I don't know why we are in the village?" The boy whined.

"…Luffy… north is up…" Gian facepalmed.

"No, north is the coldest."

"HOW DOES THAT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE VILLAGE?! I swear, Zoro has been rubbing off on you too much these days."

"Screw you, Gian!" The swordsman snapped at the reference to his lack of direction.

 _Back with Usopp and Nami_

"How could they have gotten lost at a time like this?" Nami sighed. Pirates were now about to surround them.

"Don't worry I'll back you up!" Usopp assured her.

"You want me to fight?! I'm just a girl! What am I supposed to do?"

"Well I'm not a man either! My legs are shaking so hard right now!"

Before anything else could be said a group of pirate rushed at them with the intent to kill. The two of them watched helplessly as the approaching pirates drew closer. Before they can do anything however…

"Sorry we're late!" A cry sounded from behind them. The next thing they knew, Luffy, Zoro and Gian all raced towards them. As the Black Cat pirates turned to the newcomers, they were greeted with a hail of attacks and ended up battered and bruised.

"These two… didn't even know what north means…" Gian panted.

"Shut up! You went along with it!"

"Anyway, now that the gang's all here, let's take care of this shall we?"

Jango gritted his teeth at this; his crew had just been stopped by a bunch of kids! In his heart, fear and dread began to build, not at the idea of being defeated, but something else.

" _Crap… we're going to be late for the plan. And when Kuro is kept waiting, then he'll…"_

He couldn't let this happen. Jango took out his pendulum again and pointed it towards the fallen crew. "Are you telling me that we're getting beaten by a bunch of kids? Then I'll have to power you up! With the word 'One, Two, Jango' you will all grow very strong and you wounds will heal!"

"He's using hypnosis to power his crew up? That's stupid." Nami scoffed.

"Yeah… that's what I thought too…" Gian was still miffed at being caught off guard earlier.

Right after the words were uttered the pirates stood up with murderous intent in their eyes. One of the pirates roared and threw a punch at the cliff wall and instantly broke a large chunk out of it, shocking everybody.

"Now get rid of them!" the hypnotist commanded. The empowered Black Cat pirates charged all at once.

"How are we supposed fight against this?!" Usopp screamed.

" _With the strength they have, I might have to do a partial transformation_ …" Gian thought. He crouched down and prepared to unleash some of his power, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"No need, someone's got this covered." Zoro pointed.

Gian looked and saw Luffy let loose a primal yell and raise his arms; he was hypnotized as well! The Strawhat boy then ran towards the opposing pirates and unleashed a barrage of fists and kicks, knocking them all away.

"Well… holy shit…" Gian blanked.

"I'm as surprised as you are." Zoro sighed.

"What an idiot…" Nami deadpanned.

The remaining pirates were chased back towards the beach, where Luffy, with his newfound strength, proceeded to rip the figurehead of the Bezan Black off.

"Go Luffy!" Nami cheered.

"The one time I look away from a hypnotist something good happens…" Gian grumbled and imagined what it would be like if he fully transformed and was under influence at the same time.

Luffy then turned towards the pirates, intending to smash the figure head into them.

"Dammit… Captain Kuro made a big miscalculation..." Jango cursed. He then took out his pendulum and uttered the familiar phrase that put the raging youth to sleep, this time placing his hat over his eyes. Luffy immediately fell down and began snoring away. Unfortunately, the figurehead of the ship fell on the pirates anyways, though Luffy was caught underneath as well.

"And just like that, the storm dies down" Gian muttered.

"The plan is completely messed up now… If Captain Kuro finds out about this he's going to kill us all!" Jango cursed.

* * *

"Oi, Buchi, what's going on out there?" a voice sounded from within the ship.

"Oi, Oi, what's happening?" Another voice sounded as well.

Two more people jumped out of the ship. The first was skinny, green haired man with a navy shirt, a pink bow, and black eyeliner. The second was a more obese man with a blanket on his back and striped pants. Both men had cat-shaped ears and wore clawed gloves.

"Sham" the first said

"And Buchi." The second grunted.

"Together we are the Nyaban brothers!" The two exclaimed together.

"Jessie, and James. Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!" Gian chirped for no reason, before getting a slap on the head by Nami.

"Don't join in! And what are you talking about?!" she scolded.

"Sham! Buchi! These people are in our way, take care of them." Jango commanded.

The two brothers got a nervous expression.

"I don't know captain… we're normally just supposed to guard the ship."

"Yeah and they look strong…"

"You go first Sham."

"WHAT?! Why me?!"

"Just go!" Jango snapped.

"OK! OK! No need to shout…"

"Are these two serious? They don't look like much, I'll handle it." Zoro scoffed.

"RAHHHHH! I'll tear you to pieces!" Sham ran towards Zoro blindly while waving his arms. Zoro easily blocked the strike, expecting this to be an easy victory. However, the second their attacks clashed, Sham's expression turned devious.

"You took me too lightly." The man smirked as he flipped backwards. It was only then that Zoro realized that Sham was carrying two very familiar items.

"Did you lose something? I wouldn't know!"

"Give me my swords back!" Zoro shouted.

"Give them back? Don't you already have one?" Sham tossed the swords behind his back. Zoro growled and tried to cut him down, only to have the man leap over him and pin him down.

"Now Buchi!"

The other member of the Nyaban Brothers leapt downwards as to deliver a heavy stomp. Zoro narrowly managed to roll out the way. The Nyaban Brothers grinned at their target before launching a joint attack, forcing the swordsman on the defensive.

On the sidelines, Gian, Usopp and Nami looked on worriedly.

"This is bad! Without all of his swords, Zoro can't fight at full strength." Nami whispered.

"How can we help him? I know! I'll shoot one of my **Lead Stars-"** Usopp loaded his slingshot but Gian stopped him.

"I have a better idea. I'll go and try to help take some weight of his shoulders. During the time they're distracted by us one of you will go and get the swords for Zoro. Nami you can do that right?"

"Of course. Did you forget what I'm good at?"

"Then that's the plan." With that Gian leapt towards the battling trio.

* * *

Zoro was not having a good time right now. With only a single sword he was unable to use his usual techniques and the Nyaban Brothers were relentless in their assault. One attack from Sham was too fast for him to dodge and he doubled over. He managed to raise his head to see the grinning face of Buchi with an outstretched palm ready to strike him down. Before he could however, Buchi was suddenly knocked aside by a colliding mass.

"I thought… I told you I'll handle this." Zoro panted.

"Well you were doing a great job of that weren't you? Seriously, you can use 3 swords no problem but when it comes to just one it's like they cut your arm off!" Gian retorted "After we're done here, you sir need to practice."

"Yeah… I get it. So which one do you want?"

The Nyaban Brothers growled at the newcomer. However before their confrontation could begin, Jango suddenly let out a scream of fear. Everyone turned to see what that was all about.

The Nyaban Brothers both paled and looked fearful as well.

"We're dead… we're so dead…"

"Actually Zoro, I might have to _cut_ our little tag team a bit early; I got bigger fish to fry." Gian muttered and cracked his knuckles.

"Yeah…" Zoro narrowed his eyes as well, letting him off a pun for once.

Standing atop the hill was none other the Kuro 'Of the Hundred Plans' himself with a cold and condescending look in his eyes. When he spoke, his voice was full of venom.

"The sky has been bright for quite some time now, why are you not acting according to plan?"

 **G: Hello all, this is Gian pitching in to do the footnotes this time around. First and foremost I, and the author of this tale, would like to thank everybody for ¾ of 10 000 views on this story. It brings us motivation to continue and we love that you like it. Second, the author would like to apologize for behind-schedule update. According to him, he had taken up gaming once again, and gotten something known as Steam, after the pressure of his peers, and has been playing Team Fortress 2 non-stop.**

 **KP: THAT SOLDIER'S A SPY**

… **Yeah, and aside from that he also got into Undertale and is busy exploring that fandom, for some reason-**

 **KP: NYEH HEH HEH HEH-**

 **-WILL YOU BE QUIET?! Lastly, his reading week consisted of first trying to comprehend the events of RWBY Vol. 3's finale –**

 **KP: FFFFFUUUU MILES AND KERRY-**

 **-STOP INTERRUPTING ME GODDAMMIT! - And watching Deadpool with friends, and studying for an exam that happens to be placed after his reading week. So that's why he was held up. Regardless he says that the next chapter should be up sometimes around next weekend, sooner or later.**

 **With that we'd like to thank you once again for the support. Remember to leave a review so we'd know what to improve on. Till next time.**

 **KP: See you're good at this!**

 **G: nice, where's my money?**

 **KP: I don't pay you… you don't even exist! You're just a fictional entity used to visualize an alternate universe of an existing manga.**

 **G: …just don't let me do this again.**


	12. The Monster that is Gian

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the properties of Toho Co. Ltd and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership save for any OCs, locations and abilities.**

Kuro's death gaze scoured everybody at the bottom of the hill. His subordinates could feel their spines freezing at the sight. The very thought of an angry Kuro was not something they would like to witness.

"So… would you care to tell me what the hell is going on here?!" Kuro demanded.

Jango gulped and couldn't form any words.

"I never thought that my former crew would fall so far as to be defeated by a group of brats like them. I had claimed that they would be a problem, yet your performance here is absolutely pitiful." Kuro scowled at this. "I never thought that you'd all be so damn useless!"

Jango flinched "we're… u-useless…?" the words stung, but he held his tongue; he knew better than to talk back to his former captain. However, that sentiment was not shared by everybody.

"We're useless? How dare you say that!" the Nyaban Brothers growled.

"It's true that you were once strong, but that was 3 years ago! While you were sitting tight on an island, we've been pillaging villages and attacking ships!" The two brothers' anger easily won out.

"What are you implying?" Kuro asked dismissively while pushing his glasses up with his palms.

"Do you really think, that after all these years, that you have the power to defeat us?! We'll kill you!" ignoring Jango's cry of protest, the two brothers launched themselves at the former pirate. However, before they can even reach him Kuro vanished, only to reappear behind them with a cold, murderous look in his eyes. Only this time, he was wearing a pair of gloves, each finger having been replaced by a 2 foot katana blade. 10 sheaths clattered to the ground as it happened. A blade from each hand was sticking towards the Nyaban Brothers' jugular.

"How… is he so fast…?" Zoro asked in shock.

"Well…? Who did you say you were going to kill?" Kuro asked with a chilling calmness in his voice. Both Sham and Buchi were now scared out of their wits.

"The **Nuki-Ashi**... a technique that allows him to move at rapid speeds. Even 50 assassins can't defeat him that way!It's clear he still knows how to fight; the way he pushes up his glasses is proof of that." Jango's hoarse whisper was all it took to convince everyone at the scene that the man in front of them was indeed a seasoned killer.

"Now… since I've grown much more humble in the 3 years I've been on this island, I'm going to give you 5 minutes to kill these fools. If you are unable to do it in the time limit, then I'm afraid I'll have to kill you all myself. Got it?"

"Heh-heh… it's just 5 minutes right? And it's just those guys! You can do this brothers!" Jango affirmed quickly.

The two brothers swallowed their fear and attempted another attack on the swordsman.

"Nami, now!" Gian shouted. The girl didn't need to be told twice as she immediately flung the two remaining swords at Zoro. The green haired youth caught both of them and grinned savagely, getting into his signature stance.

"No use! Even if you have 3 swords it won't be any different!" Sham shouted.

"You don't get it… **Santoryu: Tora Gari!"**

A single attack felled both the Nyaban Brothers at once.

"...Using 3 swords is different from using a 3-sword style." Zoro finished.

* * *

"4 minutes…" Kuro uttered. His eyes then widened as he was forced to jump back as a drop kick created a crater where he once stood. Kuro's eyes narrowed as the dust settled and his saw who it was.

"You shouldn't be so laid back… people are gunning for ya!" Gian smirked as he got into a fighting stance.

"You…" the former captain growled.

"I've been wanting to pound your face in ever since the incident at the mansion! Now that I have a perfect opportunity, I am _really_ going to hurt you!" the youth's eyes were taking on a fiery amber and his voice was getting more guttural.

"Cocky little shit are you? Just because you took down some underlings, don't think I'm in the same caliber as them."

"Oh don't worry. _I'm_ not your average person either." With that Gian charged. Kuro simply vanished behind him and struck out with a kick of his own towards his head. This sent Gian stumbling forward before he recovered almost immediately and charged his fist up.

" **Atom Ken!"** the radiation-enhanced punch seared towards Kuro. The man gritted his teeth in annoyance as he somersaulted over him and the punch instead smashed into a boulder, shattering it into pieces.

* * *

 _With Zoro and Jango_

"Such strength… what are these people?" Jango whispered in horror as he watched the fight.

"Don't worry about him, he's got things covered over there. I on the other hand, will end everything in _less_ than 5 minutes!" Zoro declared.

"3 minutes…" he heard Kuro muttered before seeing his captain to dodge another kick from Gian.

Jango then felt two pairs of hands grab his ankles. He looked down to see the injured Sham and Buchi.

"That bastard… he'll pay for this!"

"Hypnotize us, please! We'll pulverize him until there's nothing left!"

"Big one probably got saved by all that fat, the smaller one probably just got lucky." Zoro retorted.

Jango nodded and did his usual incantation. And just like that, the two brothers rose back up, their eyes almost pure white and their muscles bunching up.

Both let out an animalistic roar as they attacked the swordsman from both fronts. And Zoro was forced back into the fight once again.

 _With Gian and Kuro_

"That… does not look good…" Gian muttered and casted a worried glance.

"You are beginning to become very annoying, I think I'll start off by killing you first!" Kuro then vanished completely. Gian's eyes were darting around before he felt pain on his back; Kuro had raked one of his Cat Claws across his body and darted forward to deliver another. The youth isn't able to react at all. Within 10 seconds Kuro had zipped all around him, dealing major lacerations on many parts of his body. The bleeding Zoan user dropped to his knees and gasped in pain as his cuts started seeping blood.

"Gian!" Nami and Usopp screamed.

"Crap… this isn't good…" Zoro cursed as he was under assault.

"You honestly thought you could do anything to me. How foolish, I am unscathed yet you are bleeding like a stuck pig. To be completely honest, I'm really surprised that fall back at the cliff didn't kill you. Well, now that I think off it, it didn't matter, I get to kill you with my own hands now." Rearing back one of the claws, he shot forward to impale it through his heart.

Only for Gian to clamp onto his wrist.

"What?!" Kuro's eyes widen in shock as he saw that the man's wounds were closing.

"Has anyone ever told you, that you like hearing yourself talk way too much?" Gian grinned.

"H-how are you-?"

"You mean not having to pay medical bills later? Well let me tell you this: Sticks and Stones may break my bones but Chains and Whips excite- wait no that's not right."

Gian's grip tightened as he reared up. "It's Sticks and Stones may break my bones but I just heal it back in 3 seconds and deliver twice the pain!" As soon as he said those words, he grabbed onto Kuro with both arms and spun in a circle, letting go at the end and throwing the former captain a few distances.

"Captain Kuro!" Jango shouted.

"Grrr… You're a pain…"

"So I've been told by lots of people." Gian smirked; his wounds have all closed by this point and it was as if he never got attacked at all. In another part of the area, the rest of his crew breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now, where were we?" And then he charged again. Upon reaching where the former captain was, Gian spread out his left arm.

" **Atom Lariat!"** unlike his previous attack, this time his entire arm was engulfed with blue thermonuclear fire. Unfortunately for him, Kuro just used his **Nuki-Ashi** again to dash behind him and deliver yet another slash. All Gian managed to accomplish is a torn back and carving a massive trench in the cliff wall.

"It's as I suspected; your strength may be great, but you're far too slow to match up to me." Kuro sneered as he pushed his glasses up once again "You still can't land a single hit on me. In this case, no matter how much you can regenerate, it's useless if you can't put it to good use."

Kuro dashed forwards again, lashing out one of his claws, which Gian had to sidestep though not without getting a small nick on his cheek. "So you can heal, it doesn't matter anymore. I'll just cut you up into so many pieces there won't be anything left to heal back!"

" _He's right… just fighting like this I can never match his speed…"_ Gian thought " _it seems like I have no choice; it's the only way to perhaps land a hit on him…"_ with this thought in mind, Gian crouched down and began channeling atomic energy to all parts of his body.

And something nobody expected to see happened.

Gian's teeth began to length along with his entire head, until it's the shape of a carnivorous dinosaur. Coal black scales replaced human skin as it spread down his entire body. His nails also began to length until they're the shape of claws themselves. Maple leaf shaped dorsal spines burst out of his back and ran down its length, until it stopped at the end of a newly formed tail. As the transformation finished, Gian reared back his head and let out a primeval roar.

* * *

"W-what the hell is that?!" One of the Black Cat Pirates shouted in fear.

"It's a monster!" Another screamed.

"W-what is this? Captain Kuro never said anything about this!" Jango croaked.

"Gian…?" even his crewmates were slightly intimidated by this display. Nami was shocked at she witnessed the transformation happen right before her eyes.

"So that's what he's capable of…" Zoro muttered.

A few distances away, Usopp's mouth had hit the ground as he saw the scene unfold.

* * *

"W-what the hell are you?" Kuro demanded.

" **Told you… I wasn't just any average person. Now let's see you take one of my attacks now!"** Gian's voice was now deeper and more like that of an animal than a human's.

Kuro felt a trickle of sweat drip down his forehead before he snapped out of his stupor. He once again rushed at his opponent at high speeds. As he expected, Gian swung out one of his arms to intercept the blow, only for Kuro to reappear behind him and strike out with another claw.

Unlike before however, this time the claw slashed across the hard, obsidian colored scales and hardly made a scratch, whereas before it made a large cut. The small pinprick easily closed.

"What?!"

" **Those twigs of yours are going to need a lot more edge if they want to break my skin."**

Gian's tail lashed out, catching the former captain by surprise. Kuro was knocked into the ground a few feet away, all of his breath knocked out. Before he knew it, Gian pounced on him again with open arms. Kuro barely managed to roll out of the way, with the Zoan user tearing up a massive patch of earth with his claws.

" _His speed… it increased with that transformation… not to mention his power is much greater now…"_ Kuro thought " _I can't let this be a set back! So what if he became stronger? He's still far too slow to match me! I still have 2 more minutes after all…"_

Kuro attacked once again as Gian's tail slammed on the ground, running up the appendage at high speeds. Once he reached his head, he lashed out with one of his legs and delivered a kick to the back of his skull. This sent Gian stumbling forward before regaining composure, and he snarled as he saw the pirate dash at him again. His dorsal fins lit ablaze with azure light.

" **Atom Beam!"**

The thermonuclear shot sliced through the air, with Kuro narrowly twisting to the side as it seared past. A bit of his clothe were singed as he could feel the heat emitted from the blast. Kuro's eyes widened as he saw Gian charge at him again preparing to deliver a kick of his own. Forced against the cliff wall with nowhere left to go except up, he hastily jumped as the foot buried itself into the cliff, sending a series of cracks along it. Running up his leg, Kuro made quick slash, aiming for the monstrous teen's eyes. Gian managed to duck his head so only the top of it was scraped by the cat claws.

After a bit Gian managed to free himself. The two glared at each other, panting ever so slightly.

" _Even with a Partial Transformation his speed is still too much for me to catch on. Sure my reflexes have gotten sharper but it's nothing if I can't actually touch him… I just have to stall him so he doesn't reach the rest of the guys." He thought._

With that thought, he ran towards Kuro once again.

 _Meanwhile_

Nami cast a worried glance around the battlefield. The two opposing forces seemed to be pushing each other back and forth. Zoro, fighting both of the empowered Nyaban Brothers at once, was pushing himself hard. And while Gian's monstrous strength can easily decide his battle, Kuro was simply too fast for him to land a decent blow. Everything was too even, there had to be something to break this stalemate…

Nami's eyes then widened; she'd almost forgot about a very important person! Looking at the fallen figure head, she breathed a sigh of relief to see that the captain of the Strawhats was unhurt.

"Everybody is fighting… yet he's taking a nap" Nami shook her head as she looked on. Monkey D. Luffy was still sleeping with half his body under the figurehead. She had to wake him up somehow, it'll really help with both battles

With that thought in mind, Nami raced to the figure head. However before she got two steps, a bladed ring struck her shoulder, making her cry out in pain and fall to the ground.

"Nami!" Zoro cried, before having to duck under a claw swing from Buchi.

" **Hey! Attacking a lady from behind is the lowest you can get!"** Gian shouted while still trying to land a hit on Kuro.

"Heh, I wouldn't be so worried about that if I were you" Jango sneered as he pulled out another bladed pendulum, twirling the one that was recently coated in blood. A few feet away, Nami was struggling to get up, clutching her wounded shoulder "After all, you have your hands tied pretty much do you not?" Gian's eyes widened as Kuro lashed out again. This time however, he wasn't fast enough to dodge and his cat claws ripped into his ocular orbs. Instantly searing pain blanked in his brain and his world went black.

Everybody's eyes widened dramatically as the transformed youth roared with unimaginable pain. Stumbling around, he didn't notice Kuro deliver another kick to the back of his head, knocking him forward and skidding on the rocky beach. As this happened, Gian's monstrous transformations began receding back into his body, until he was now just a regular person rolling around in pain.

"Pest… I will admit you surprised me there, but you messed with the wrong person!" Kuro snarled as he aimed a claw towards his neck, intending on killing him in an instant.

"And I'll deal with the sleeping one." Jango declared and shot the bladed ring towards the still slumbering Luffy.

"No!" Nami shouted. In one last desperate attempt, she brought her foot down on his face in order to wake him up.

"OWWW! Nam! What the hell was that fo-" Luffy shouted as he snapped back to consciousness, only to catch the ring in his open mouth.

"You're awake!" Nami let out a relieved sigh.

"Huh, guess that was pretty good timing." Zoro smirked.

"What was that? I heard Luffy, What is Luffy doing? What is anyone doing?" Gian shouted while still clutching his eyes; the pain had subsided by now and the regeneration was beginning to set in. However regenerating eyes took a much longer time than regular body wounds. During this time he managed to roll away from the murderous Kuro.

"Ahhh! IT HURTS!" Luffy cried out as he shattered the ring.

The rest of the underlings realized that things were not going well.

"Crap… now he's up…"

"Can we even still win this?"

"Nami, your shoulder is hurt… And why is Gian rolling in the dirt?" Luffy observed.

"Don't worry about it, I'll be fine. But we need to win this battle. For the sake of my treasure we can't lose!"

"Cash rules everything around you doesn't it… Hey Luffy, you mind subbing in for me against psychotic Alfred?"

"Who's that?"

"I meant Kuro! I'd do it myself but my world is a bit dark right now! Son of a bitch ripped my eyes out and I think I'll be out for a bit."

"Oh, the evil butler is here too? yeah no problem I'll do that."

Kuro hissed with annoyance. That freak had managed to escape him while he was caught off guard. He then noticed Luffy was awake.

"Hmm, he didn't die after that fall either. Considering the other one didn't die either I shouldn't be so surprised. No matter, I'll still kill everybody here. After all, they only have 1 minute left."

After hearing that, the rest of the pirates were sweating Buckets.

"W-we're so dead! There's no way that the Nyaban Brothers can win against Zoro in just one minute!"

In one last desperate attempt at victory, Sham and Buchi decided to attack Zoro directly at once.

"I'll end this now, it's been going on for too long" the green hair swordsman got into his usual stance.

" **Oni Giri!"**

With one attack, both brothers fell in a spray of blood. This time, they were knocked down for good. Zoro sheathed all of his swords and went over to help Nami with Gian.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

"Blind! Honestly I really didn't _see_ that coming!"

"Seriously?! Even now you're still making puns?!" the two of them facefaulted.

"Hey, it's always time for puns, no exceptions! But this darkness is really unsettling, now I know how Stevie Wonder feels."

"…Who is that supposed to be?!"

"Wait… it's coming back! There's light!" Gian shouted as he removed his hand, freshly regenerated eyeballs now filled the once vacant sockets. He blinked a few times and narrowed his eyes; newly formed eyes needed some time to adjust.

"That's … honestly kind of creepy…" Both of them grimaced.

"Yeah? Well get used to it. Though I'll be careful from now on."

"It begs the question, is there anything you can't heal from?" Zoro asked.

"Well, I don't know if I can grow an arm or a leg back if they ever get chopped off, and to tell you the truth, I don't really want to know. The same goes for internal organs. But let's not worry about that for now."

"Fair enough." With that the three of them turned back to watch Luffy deal with the rest.

"Guess it's time to kill everyone" Kuro sighed as he stretched out his claws.

"You're going to pay for what you did to Gian!" Luffy shouted angrily.

"Now you show up… guess you'll take his place." Both pirates prepared to attack, however before they can do anything…

"Klahadore!"

Everyone's eyes turned to the source of the voice. Standing right behind Kuro was none other than the Lady of Syrup Village, holding a pistol and pointing it shakily at her former butler.

 **A/N: So there, a shorter chapter this time. I had planned for Syrup Village arc to originally end with chapter 12, but at the end I decided to drag it out for one more chapter. Mostly to explore some more options, and to finally show off a Partial Transformation since I can't wait anymore. Plus, someone was bitching too hard that I wasn't giving him enough screen time.**

 **G: I hardly did anything last chapter!**

 **KP: Yes you did! You went on a marathon with Usopp!**

 **G: Fuck you! Running is evil!"**

 **KP: yeah… you got me there. Anyway, Gian's main weaknesses stem from his general overconfidence in his ability to heal fast and below average speed. Partial Transformation grants him speed that is faster than most humans but much slower than Luffy in Gear 2** **nd** **or people who know Soru. He's that kind of guy, generally relying on his strength to bulldoze people down.**

 **With that the next chapter should wrap up this arc; it should be up sometimes next week. I'll see you then! Have a good time!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will do backflips!**

 **G: What the hell author?! Don't get me involved in your critique-making schemes!**


	13. A new ship at last!

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole property of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership save for any OCs, abilities and Original locations.**

"Lady Kaya… what a surprise seeing you here…" Kuro said impassively

"Kaya!" Usopp cried out in fear. The rich girl was standing a mere 2 feet away from the killer pirate. Kaya stood firm, but on the inside she was shaking. Even now she still could not believe that her former caretaker is a person that is capable of such cruelty. Regret rose inside her for not listening to Usopp before, he was only trying to help yet she snapped at him to leave and never come back. It wasn't until this morning, when she found a badly injured Merry on the ground with what looked like claw marks on his body did she finally know the truth.

"Usopp-san… I'm sorry for not listening to you…" Kaya whispered faintly.

"Hey, I was there too!" Gian pointed out.

"That doesn't matter now! You need to get out of here! Kuro's target is you!" Usopp screamed.

"I can't… I said all those mean things to you, yet you are here fighting…" turning to the former captain her resolve strengthened "Klahadore, please stop all this! If it's my fortune you want, I'll let you have all of it! Just leave this place!"

"That's very kind of you Lady Kaya" Kuro let out a light smile "However… what I want is more than that."

"What I desire… is tranquility."

"Tr-Tranquility?" Kaya whispered.

"Yes, in the 3 years that I've been using to gain the villagers' trust, I've been unbelievably peaceful. I would like to keep that peace. And the only way to do that is with your fortune! These pirates will attack the village, and you will leave a will before they kill you!" Kuro declared.

Kaya's eyes were horrified.

"N-no… You're not Klahadore…"

"Kaya please! You need to run!" Usopp pleaded again.

"You're not Klahadore!"

"Yeah, I think we've already established that missy, now get the hell out of here or he might cut your eyes out too! Only difference is that yours won't grow back!" Gian tried to get up and run to her but his newly regenerated eyes were still rather sensitive to light, so he quickly fell down again.

The gun in Kaya's hands were gripped a bit tighter as she raised it towards Kuro.

"Leave…"

"What's this? You're pointing a gun at me now?" Even Kuro was slightly surprised at the sudden action.

"LEAVE THIS VILLAGE!"

"My, you certainly have grown in the last few years" Kuro, surprisingly, gave a small smile at that "in these 3 years, I've watched you grow so much." Kaya began to falter after hearing those words. Kuro casually slipped off one of his gloves and began to walk slowly towards the girl. "You used to be such a sad girl, and I would try to cheer you up whichever way I can. Do you still remember those times?"

Kaya paused at this, tears were threatening to flow down her face. Images of her and Klahadore going shopping, Klahadore bringing her lunch, the two laughing together, and many other events filled her mind. So deep into her thoughts was she that she didn't even notice Kuro standing right in front of her.

"Yes… I did all those things. I gave you all of my time. All of that I endured, just so this day can come. So that I can kill you today!"

Kuro suddenly ripped the gun away from her and threw it to the side. He once again reverted to the cold persona he had earlier.

"It's funny isn't it? I, the former Captain Kuro, was reduced to a loyal servant to a weak girl like yourself… do you _know_ how humiliating that is?! But it doesn't matter now, my plan is almost complete, and it will end with your death!"

This earned a look of anger from Luffy as well as everyone else from the scene.

Usopp gasped and ran to pick up the gun, aiming to shoot the former captain. However, no sooner did his hand grab the gun did he feel Kuro's presence behind him with both his cat claws caged around his neck.

"Come to think of it… you still owe me a punch from earlier… You hit me pretty hard you know that?"

"Usopp-san!" Kaya screamed

"Hey! I didn't hear you complaining when my tail bludgeoned you earlier!" Gian shouted.

Kuro ignored both of them and prepared to decapitate the liar. Before he can do anything he was blindsided by a flying fist.

"Since you hate it so much… how about I give you a hundred of them for free!" Luffy could hold it in no longer. His fist retracted and both were held tightly, ready to strike again.

Around him every Black Cat Pirates' eyes were blown out of their head.

"H-how did he do that?"

"His arm just stretched!"

"C-captain Kuro just got hit!"

Kuro's glasses were now bent and slightly damaged. His glare sent towards the rubber man's way promising death. However, before anyone could act, 3 more people showed up on the scene.

"THE USOPP PIRATES ARE REPORTING FOR DUTY!" they shouted; it was the 3 kids and they immediately ran up to Kuro and started smacking him with a bat, a hammer and a frying pan. After overhearing Kaya this morning the 3 were now ready to fight for their village.

"YOU GUYS!" Usopp shouted.

"NO! PLEASE! STOP THAT!" Kaya gave a worried shout of her own.

"Um… how did they get here?!" Gian's eyes were wide. Each of the Strawhats were really concerned about what could happen here "Hey! This isn't a place for children! Scram!"

Ninjin, Piiman and Tamanegi ignored everyone and continued beating the fallen captain.

"Those brats… they're gonna make Captain Kuro pissed off…" A pirate whispered fearfully.

After a while the 3 stopped.

"Huff… Huff… I think he's had enough."

"Hey Captain why didn't you tell us you were fighting them?"

"That's not the point here! Get out of here while you still can!" Usopp yelled. He'd tried so hard not to drag them into this but in the end they found out on their own.

"No! We will fight with you!"

"Yeah! We can't let the Usopp pirates' name be soiled!"

Before anything else could be said, the 3 kids suddenly realized that Kuro had stood back up behind them. Barely able to release a scream of fear, the kids could do nothing as the former captain sped past them and struck Usopp with a powerful kick. The teenager flew back with a pained cry.

Ignoring the worried shouts from Kaya and the little kids, Kuro then directed his attention to Luffy.

"Impressive punch you threw there… Tell me, you ate a Devil Fruit didn't you?"

"Yup! I'm a rubber man!" Luffy responded

Kuro cracked a glance at Gian "Then the other one who transformed into that beast, you must possess a Devil Fruit as well?"

"Guilty as charged… why, do you miss it or something? I'll show it to you again for free if you want!" Gian hissed.

"Jango! Proceed with the plan, I'll take care of this kid." Kuro ordered.

"Understood."

The hypnotist strode towards Kaya, his hand on his pendulum, before he can do anything however, Usopp, using all the determination he had, uttered a very serious order.

"Listen up… Usopp Pirate crew… Protect Kaya!"

"I'm giving you guys the most important mission we've had up to this point! Take Kaya and get her to safety! And don't say it's impossible! Because… protecting the people we love… is WHY WE FORMED THIS PIRATE CREW!" Tears were streaming down his face as he shouted this last part out. The 3 boys nodded, determination filled their eyes.

"This is… Captain's orders…!"

"AYE SIR!" the Usopp Pirates didn't need to be told twice and immediately rushed in and ran away with Kaya in tow.

" _Great speech, it's basically telling them to run away"_ Zoro smirked as he figured out what's going on.

"Jango! Go after them!" Kuro scowled. The hypnotist immediately gave chase

Meanwhile, Kuro turned a condescending eye back to Luffy and Usopp.

"You do realize how futile it is to tell them to leave right? I am perfectly aware of Kaya's condition, she won't get far. Jango will be able to handle the rest."

"HOW DARE YOU! You lived under her roof for 3 years! Don't you even have the slightest compassion for her?" Usopp yelled with anger.

"Zero, she is nothing more than a chess piece in my plan. After her death, I'll have to thank her for her contribution" Kuro sneered.

"Why you…"

Suddenly, gunshots could be heard from the forest among other sounds.

"Oh no! Kaya!" Usopp screamed.

"Hmm? It seems like Jango has already found them, who knows? They might already be dead by now!" Kuro cackled "Don't you see? Everybody in this village is a part of my plan!"

"I WON'T LET YOU HARM ANY OF THEM! BECAUSE I AM CAPTAIN USOPP! BRAVE WARRIOR OF THE SEA!" Usopp shouted with resolve.

"Don't worry! I'll take care of him!" Luffy declared "Zoro, Gian, go with Usopp and make sure they're safe! Leave everything to me!"

"Rescue duty huh? Well, it's captain's orders!" Zoro grinned.

"Great, I was bored sitting around anyway! Be careful Luffy, that cat's fast." Gian dusted himself off. By now his eyes have gotten off their sensitivity. The 3 proceeded into the forest, but then their way was blocked.

"And who, pray tell, gave you all permission to leave?" Kuro glared at them.

"Buzz off asshole!" Gian snarled as his dorsal fins extended from his back and he fired a small **Atom Ray**. Kuro easily jumped over it, but then his eyes widened as a fist sored towards him. The former captain hastily dodged that one as well, only for Luffy to narrowly miss him as his entire body rocketed towards him. The trio took this distraction to break for the forest.

" **Gomu Gomu no… Yari!"** The rubber man's feet shot forward in a straight line just like its namesake, however the former captain's speed was just too fast.

"Your opponent is me! Don't forget it!"

"If you wish for death so much, I'll grant it" Kuro growled, then looked at Luffy with a neutral expression "I am curious however, why would an outsider like yourself want to get involved here?"

"Because there is someone I don't want to see die!"

"Is that so? You'd put your life on the line just for that?"

"I'm not afraid of death! In fact I'm not going to die! After all, I'm going to become the King of Pirates!" Luffy affirmed.

Luffy then attacked with more stretching limbs, but Kuro's speed was simply too fast and he was able to avoid all of the strikes. As Luffy lashed out with a **Gomu-gomu no Pistol** Kuro leapt onto his arm and ran down the length, ending the display with a kick.

"Dammit… he's too fast…" Luffy muttered as he wiped a trail of blood from his lip.

Seeing this the underlings of the Black Cat Pirates breathed a sigh of relief.

"That rubber guy sure is strong, but that's our Captain Kuro after all!" they all began to cheer for their captain until said man whirled on them with a murderous glare in his eyes

"SHUT UP! _Never_ call me that name again!" he snarled "Do you not see? This whole plan was to get rid of the name Kuro' of the Hundred Plans'! All those days, those days of being chased by the marines! Those days of commanding you lot who only know how to make a ruckus, I'M SICK OF IT ALL!"

The pirates were stunned as he continued to rant "I managed to make the world think that Kuro is dead after that imposter got captured in my place, and now 3 years later, my plan will finally succeed! They will never fail!" With that he rushed towards Luffy and stabbed forward with one of his claws. However, instead of puncturing its intended target, it instead embedded itself into a rock. Luffy glared at the captain as he held the boulder in front of him like a shield; he had some choice words for this former captain.

"You're tired you say? You can't take it anymore?" Luffy snapped as he pointed the rock to the side, which actually snapped off all the blades on one of the cat claws. "If you're so afraid of what your fame would bring you, then you DON'T DESERVE TO BE A PIRATE!" Luffy then threw the massive rock at Kuro, sending him flying backwards.

The pirates were shocked out of their minds to see that their captain's weapons were broken just like that. Kuro was now down to only one of his cat claws; five blades in total.

"That guy… just destroyed Captain Kuro's claw…" a pirate whispered

"B-but that's fine! Our captain Kuro can still win, right?" another answered.

"Hey! We can't call him that anymore remember?"

"Oh right… but now what are we supposed to call him?"

"Well, he's Captain Kuro to us but here he's called Klahadore so… how about Kura-san?"

"Yeah! That sounds good! Go Kura-san! Kill him."

The underlings all began to cheer their former captain on, but soon found them silenced by a venomous glare.

"All of you fools shut up!" Kuro was now much more bruised than before, due to the punishment given by Luffy. "I'll… exterminate you all later!"

"W-what? What are you talking about?" the pirates turned fearful.

"I never planned to let you guys leave the island, it would be a problem if anybody knew I was still alive. I'd even planned to kill Jango after he's done his part of hypnotizing the girl… all of it, planned on the day I decided I'm giving up my former life!"

"S-so, you already planned to have us killed?" The pirates paled, only now knowing how treacherous their captain was.

"Wow… this is a dumb crew…" Luffy muttered.

"Dumb? This is how a pirate crew should be! These fools can't even do anything without someone at the head giving them orders! All of them are mere pawns, fit only to be used in whatever plan I come up with. Whether they live or die all depends on me, and should any obstacle get in the way of my plan, they're expected to die for it!" Kuro rasped. Then he caught the look Luffy shot him; it was one of absolute disgust. Kuro's facial expression immediately developed rage. "THIS IS THE FATE OF PIRATES, DON'T YOU DARE LECTURE ME!"

"Even if a captain like you has ten thousand men, you'll never compare to Usopp!" Luffy shouted with confidence.

"What did you say? You're saying that I can't compare to a brat that only plays pretend?!"

"That's right!"

"Don't get overconfident just because you took down one of my claws! WHAT DOES THAT BOY HAVE OVER ME?!" Kuro launched himself at Luffy, intent on cutting down.

"Composure." Was the only thing Luffy said in his reply.

"What?!" The answer made Kuro hesitate, and he didn't notice that a fist was coming his way.

"YOU DON'T KNOW THE REAL MEANING OF BEING A PIRATE!"

The punch sent Kuro careening into the nearby cliff which he smashed into heavily and landed in a heap.

Slowly Kuro got back up, and if looks could kill, then Luffy would be impaled by a thousand daggers.

"You… dare insult me?! You say I don't know what it means to be a pirate?! Then let me show you… the power of a pirate WHO'S BEEN TO HELL AND BACK COUNTLESS TIMES!"

Kuro suddenly dropped his head and his body began swaying back and forth. Seeing this, all the underlings were sent into a frenzy of fear.

"N-no way! He can't be-"

"He's going to use that?! But he's only facing one person!"

"But that's the stance! He's definitely using it! He did say he was going to kill us! Oh this is bad…!"

" **Shakushi!"** Kuro suddenly vanished in a mist of purple smoke. The atmosphere was eerily quiet, until-

" **AUUGGHHH!"**

A spray of blood, and a pirate fell down. His body had a massive slash mark across it. The man was dead before he even knew what was going on.

"HE'S HERE!" it was utter pandemonium within the group. All the pirates were frozen with fear, each having no idea where he was going to strike next.

"What? How did he die?!" Luffy let out an alarmed yelp.

The next few seconds were the most terrifying of the underlings' life. Kuro was absolutely relentless, mowing down 2 more of his former crew, even the rocks near Luffy was inflicted with deep gouges. Soon almost a quarter of the group was dead or severely injured. Luffy himself sustained multiple cuts, fortunately none of them were deep.

"C-Captain Kuro! Please… stop this!" a crewmember pleaded.

"It's no use… he's using the **Nuki-Ashi** to its full potential! He can't even see what he's attacking at this speed!"

More slashes followed, with the body count ever increasing. Luffy meanwhile was getting angrier by the minute. Even with his body torn up, the fire in his eyes were unmistakable.

"Goddammit… WHAT DO YOU TAKE YOUR NAKAMA FOR?!" Luffy bellowed.

Kuro suddenly appeared behind him and shot his claw forward, ripping up Luffy's side. Luffy did manage to grasp the arm and flip the speeding pirate into the ground "Found you!"

"Grrr… look what you did to my men! They're all half-dead and bleeding! It'll be more humane for me to put them down…" Kuro hissed. He then caught Luffy's glare. "You have something to say?!"

"Yeah… I'll never become… someone like you!" Luffy shouted.

"Is that so? Well it isn't like you could anyways. You can't become what I am… you don't have the skill!" Kuro sneered "Your face is so irritating! I'll kill you right here! In fact I'll take _special_ care of you! After this I'll take care of all your remaining nakama! I'll make sure that transforming freak get more than just his eyes ripped to shreds this time! **SHAKUSHI!** "

Kuro vanished once more, and the bloodbath continued. The landscape around Luffy was littered with claw marks, but Luffy was able to most of the damage save for a cut across the shoulder.

Luffy suddenly shot out his arms, the first missing its target but the second succeeded in grabbing Kuro. He then proceeded to wrap all his limbs around the pirate, preventing him from moving!

"Let go!" Kuro snarled.

"I'll end your 3 years' worth of planning with this! Luffy shouted as his neck stretched backwards.

"No! This can't- MY PLANS CAN-"

" **Gomu-Gomu no…-"**

" **MY PLANS CAN NEVER FAIL!"** Kuro let out one last yell of indignation.

" **-Kane!"**

Luffy's head snapped back and slammed into Kuro's own cranium. The rubber man, due to his body structure, didn't feel a thing. Kuro on the other hand, was sent flying. His glasses were now shattered and his head had blood running down it. When he landed, he was out cold.

"N-No way!"

"He-He just defeated Captain Kuro…!"

"Even the marines can't do anything against him, and yet-"

All fearful whispers where silenced when Luffy shot them daggers. He then tossed the unconscious Kuro towards his crew.

"A pirate who discarded his name and ran from the seas, I'll never lose to a guy like him!" Luffy shouted "My name is Monkey D. Luffy! Remember my name because I'm going to be the next Pirate King!"

"Now take him with you and get out of here!"

The pirates didn't need to be told twice. They immediately ran towards the shores with their captain in tow. Luffy watched them leave.

"Wow… did somebody get crazy with the landscaping here?" Luffy looked up to see Gian. "Usopp and the rest of us managed to own the hipster, they sent me out here to tell you everything's taken care of. I wanted to wail on him a bit more but the princess didn't let me." He then saw the fleeing pirates. "Him too?! But I wanted to bash his face in! Well at least you took him out but-" he then saw Luffy's expression; normally the rubber boy would be all laughs at his overdramatic rants but now he was rather solemn. "Not the best time? I'll shut up, sorry."

"It's ok." Luffy mumbled. "I'm tired…"

"Well of course you would be after a fight like that." The duo then saw Nami walking towards them with big bags of treasure. She had been watching the fight for a bit now and was quite shocked at how brutal Kuro was.

"Hey, why were you so angry before?"

"I don't like people like him, who use his nakama like tools…" Luffy grumbled.

"Well… I was right… that guy was a dick." Gian huffed.

"What are you two talking about? That's how things work! Pirates aren't as noble as you think they are! And Kuro is the perfect example of that!" Nami explained.

"You still think that? You do realize a person's profession doesn't justify for their personality right? Kuro was a cruel man to begin with, he has to be if he's able to lay out a plan like that! Being a pirate just happens to compliment it further!" Gian retorted. Nami didn't know how to answer that.

Luffy on the other hand, had a much simpler answer: "I want food."

"Seriously?!" Nami facefaulted.

"Well that settles that! Let's go eat!" Gian chuckled, Nami sighed and shook her head, then followed them to find everybody else.

 _Meanwhile_

The village was beginning to stir. Soon however, a wave of confusion was setting in. Normally at this time a certain boy and his little followers would be running around the village shouting that pirates were coming. Today however, he was nowhere to be found.

" _Where is Usopp-kun?"_ what the thought of everybody's mind.

 _In another place._

"You guys did a great job today!" Usopp praised his little crew as they sat together in a clearing in the forest. The 3 boys grinned with slight embarrassment.

"We didn't do anything captain, not like you!"

"No I'm serious. Even though you three were scared you still came. This has been the most successful battle the Usopp Pirates have experienced ever since we came to be 5 years ago. But make sure you all keep this a secret!" Usopp told them.

"Aye sir!"

Usopp then sighed.

"Now, after sometime I have to say we will be sailing separate seas now" at hearing this all the smiles dropped. "I've decided to set out to sea myself! At first I didn't know what to do, but after meeting some people I now know what I must do, as a man. And that is to set out to sea! For when the pirate flag beckons, you must heed its call!"

"W-what? Captain what are you saying!" Ninjin exclaimed

"I thought you loved this village!" Piiman protested.

"What will happen to us? What will happen to the crew?" Tamanegi cried.

"It's been a very good time with you guys. Please give the villagers my regards"

"No! You can't leave! I don't want you to!" All 3 boys were now on the verge of tears.

"We've had some awesome adventures in the last 5 years, it all started at this place, where the Usopp Pirates were formed. We've been through lots, haven't we?" Everybody began looking back, to a time when the Usopp pirates were fighting a dragon (which was lizard), Chasing Cerberus (which was some dog) and even facing off against an alien (They were stealing apples and the Shopkeeper caught them).

"I DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER THE PAST! IT'S PAINFUL!" the boys really didn't want their captain to leave the village, they've been a crew for 5 years, how could it just end like this?

"You're stupid captain!"

Usopp then stood on the logs and questioned all 3 of them "You boys! What are your ambitions?"

"I want to be the owner of a bar!" Ninjin revealed.

"I want to be a carpenter!" Piiman said.

"I want to be a writer!" Tamanegi thought out loud.

Usopp nodded "Then never let those ambitions die out! Follow your dreams with determination!" The boys only nodded sadly; it seems like they really will be separating after all. "From this day forth, the Usopp Pirates… Are Disbanded!"

 _Meanwhile_

"How are you eating almost as much as Luffy all of a sudden?!" Nami grimaced as the 4 of them sat in the restaurant. The battle had made all of them rather hungry and as usual Luffy was like a bottomless pit. This time however, Gian also joined in on the binge and was now gnawing away at a side of ribs. Even more perplexing was how ravenous he was eating it; literally tearing the meat way and gulping it down before he even had time to chew. Whenever someone tries to take food from his side of the table he even let out some snarls.

"Partial Transformations use up much more stamina than just using regular moves. If I don't eat anything I will be tired and cranky." Gian simply stated.

"Then can you at least not make a mess?" Nami snapped; she was the only one eating normally.

"Can't blame him, this is pretty good." Zoro was downing his meal with a cup of sake.

"Ah, I found you guys!" a new voice got all their attention, the quartet turned to see a smiling Kaya standing in front of the table.

"Hey, miss!" Luffy greeted.

"Are you sure you can walk around like that?" Nami asked with concern.

"Yes, don't worry. The doctor said I'm well enough to walk around. In the past it was due to depression over my parents' passing that made me contract this illness. It was all because of Usopp-san constantly trying to cheer me up that I realized that I can't let his efforts go to waste!"

"Yeah, it's hard imagining up giant goldfish that shit mountains out. How does he even do it?" Usopp had told Gian about some of the stories he's told her in the past while they were running away from the villagers; Gian thought that it was a sweet gesture.

Kaya giggled at that "Anyways I have prepared a present for all of you. I hope you'll like it!"

 _Later_

"It's a caravel!" Nami exclaimed in amazement.

Indeed, docked at the shore, it was a ship, the ship that they've been looking for. It was a decent sized ship with a large white sail and a smaller striped one behind it. There was a large cannon located at the front and white guards surrounding the deck. A figurehead of a sheep's head was the most defining feature. To the Strawhats it was as if Christmas came early.

"Wow! We can really have this?" Luffy asked excitedly.

"Of course! Please accept it!" Kaya smiled.

"I was the one that designed it, it's a bit old fashioned but it should sail well! The ship's frame and the triple mast sails are all part of a stern-centered system. I call it the 'Going Merry'." Merry explained from the side. "Now let me-"

"Don't worry, just tell me about how to operate it!" Nami told him; with 2 anchors and a swordsman with bad direction there was no way any of the guys would know how it would work.

"The figurehead is so cool!" Luffy was still gushing.

"At last! My nakama won't take up my space!" Gian had his arms raised and cheered for a different reason.

"For the last time! _You_ were taking up _our_ space!" Zoro snapped and smacked him on the back of the head.

"Merry and I have made preparations for everything you need on a voyage so don't worry about anything!" Kaya smiled at their joy.

"Really? Thank you! That's really thankful of you!" Luffy said with gratitude.

"Don't you mean 'thoughtful'?" everyone else sighed.

The 4 were just about the board their new ship when they suddenly hear commotion from the hill. They turned to see Usopp rolling downwards with a massive backpack, which was the thing carrying the momentum.

"Is he moving houses? He has like an entire storage's worth of stuff in that bag?" Gian questioned.

"Whatever he's doing we need to stop it or else he'll hit the ship." Zoro declared.

Gian nodded and held a hand out. Usopp came to a stop right as his face collided with the open palm.

"T-thanks…" he wheezed.

"Usopp-san, you are setting off as well aren't you?" Kaya asked.

"Yeah, please don't stop me I want to do this."

"I know… I kind of figured for some time now."

"Oh… then the next time I come back I'll tell you all kinds of outrageous stories!"

Kaya smiled "I look forward to that!"

"If you guys want to make out we have a room here I think!" Gian pointed out. He decided; he's going to make getting Yasopp-san's kid his girl as one of his life goals.

"Gian!" Usopp shouted as his face grew hot. Kaya was in a similar situation as she covered part of her face and it became a pretty shade of pink.

"What? Even the butler ships it!" He then pointed at Merry, who only looked away innocently while whistling.

"STOP TALKING NOW!" Usopp yelled. Everybody laughed at that.

After a few more moments of that Fiasco Usopp then addressed the Strawhats. "You guys take care too! I'm sure we'll run into each other one day!"

"Why?" Luffy asked.

"W-we're all pirates now aren't we? We'll be sailing different paths but we could run into each other on these seas!" Usopp stammered.

"What are you talking about? Hurry up and get on the ship!" Zoro smirked.

"Eh?"

"Get on by yourself or I'll throw you on board." Gian grinned.

"Yeah! We're already nakama aren't we?" Luffy laughed.

It took a few seconds for Usopp to wrap his head around that situation. But soon, he broke out in a huge smile and laughed.

"CAPTAIN! I'M THE CAPTAIN THEN!"

"Don't be stupid! I'm the captain!" Luffy snapped. Everyone had another good laugh at their antics.

And with that, the crew set sail once more, with their new nakama and the new ship Going Merry.

 **A/N: Syrup Village arc is finished! That makes 3 completed arcs! I got to say, starting back in November I didn't expect me to take up this story as much as I did, but my love for the series helped, as well as support from all of you guys!**

 **G: I'm surprised too, considering your track records on your other stories…**

 **KP: Hey! Life gets in the way!**

 **G: yet you haven't updated those either**

 **KP: YOU also get in the way! But good point I should probably think about them more…**

 **G: NO DON'T LEAVE ME!**

 **KP: … k. Anyways we will begin the Baratie Arc next, which I'll try to water down as much as possible so that we can get to Arlong Park as soon as possible! Everybody loves that one. I'll try to get the next chapter up by next week! Stay tuned!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will do Jumping Jacks!**

 **G: WHY EXERCISE AGAIN?!**


	14. Floating sea restaurant: Baratie!

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, original abilities, and original locations.**

The Going Merry is sailing smoothly and the crew was having a great time. Currently, everybody was doing their own thing. Luffy was messing around with what looks like a black canvas, Zoro was taking a Nap, Nami was looking at a map, Gian was writing something in his notebook and Usopp was trying to tell a story.

"It's done!" Luffy shouted as he raised the finished product; it was a painting of a grinning skull and crossbones with his signature straw hat. The only problem is… well, Luffy is not very a good artist.

"Now that there's 5 people in the crew it's time for our own flag! This is going to be our mark!"

"T-that's our mark?" Zoro grimaced.

"Yeah! What do you think? Great isn't it?"

"It's shit." Gian, being the artist that he is, was rather blunt about it.

"A pirate flag is supposed to symbolize death and terror." Zoro pointed out.

"I'm feeling terror, but's it's the terror of his talent…" Nami muttered.

"Here, I'll draw the mark." Gian immediately went over and got out a paintbrush and a new canvas. A few moments later, he presented a hyper detailed painting of what is supposed to be their Jolly Roger.

"Now _this_ is what our mark should be!" upon seeing it everyone let out a scream.

The new version of the Jolly Roger still had Luffy's hat on it, but the skull instead was now an open mouthed monstrosity with fire in its eyes and lightning coming out of its mouth.

"WE'RE NOT USING THAT!" Nami snapped at him.

"But you said death and terror!" Gian protested.

"I didn't say something that would consume your soul either!" Zoro yelled.

"YOU'RE THE DEVIL!" they both shouted.

"Well excuse me for taking pride in my ability to make art instead of doodling."

After a bit, Usopp suddenly came up with an idea.

"Did you all forget about _this_ genius painter?" He pointed to himself "I've had 50 years of experience painting walls! When it comes to something like this it should be a piece of cake! " everybody had their own interpretation of the outlandish lie.

"Wow! 50 years?" Luffy was amazed.

"That would mean you're an old man!" Zoro laughed.

"I bet he has 5-6 grandchildren already!" Nami giggled.

"And he still looks that good too! Tell us your secret! Dermatologists would hate you!" Gian guffawed.

"OI!"

Soon, Usopp was done with the painting. It indeed was a very good one, except that he drew his own mark instead.

"Who told you to make your own flag?!" Everybody shouted.

So Usopp made another one instead, this time it was the same as Luffy's except that it looks much better.

"This is really nice!" everybody praised.

"Alright, I concede." Gian grinned. It really is a good mark.

"Ok Usopp, paint it on the sail!" Luffy commanded.

And just like that, the Strawhat Jolly Roger is born. Very soon, it would be known across the entire world.

 _Later:_

Luffy, Usopp and Gian found some cannonballs in the storage and decided to test the cannon.

"ARRRGH! Why is this so hard?" Luffy cried out. He had been attempting to shoot at an island rock, but no matter what he does, never seems to hit the target.

"I'll get it this time…" Gian muttered. He lit the fuse and the cannon ball shot out. Unfortunately, it went 90 degrees up instead of towards the rock "WHAT THE HELL?! HOW IS THAT EVEN LOGICAL?!"

"Hehe, guess it's up to me to show you two how it's done!" Usopp boasted. After some preparartions, he fired and this time the cannonball landed a direct hit.

"WOW! You hit it!" Luffy and Gian cried out.

"Eh? That actually worked… er I mean, of course! When it comes to marksmanship, I'm second to none!" Usopp gave a shaky grin.

"Nice! Then from now on, you will be our sniper!" Luffy declared.

"But I want to be the captain!"

"I told you! I'm the captain!"

Later, everybody sat around deciding what to do next.

"Before we head to the Grand Line, there's one more position that we need filled." Luffy revealed.

"Yes, it is a rather important position isn't it?" Zoro nodded.

"We have a really nice kitchen here too." Nami said

"Indeed, it is the most important position on a ship. We need a-"

"10 beri he's going to say what I think he's going to say." Gian whispered to Zoro.

"Make it 20."

"- Musician!" Luffy finished. This earned him a collective groan.

"Is that all you think about?" Zoro snapped.

"I thought he'd say something smart for once…" Usopp muttered.

"Don't get your hopes up." Gian sighed.

"But pirates need to sing!" Luffy pointed out.

"We need other things as well Luffy, we can't sing if we don't even have the bare necessities." Gian explained. When he saw Luffy's pout he let out a short sigh, "We can get a musician later."

Before anything else can be said, the crew heard someone land on the deck. An angry voice shouted out as well.

"Come out here you pirates!"

Luffy and Gian ran outside to see a man of average height wearing a blue jacket, a purple shirt, beige pants and a pair of sunglasses staring angrily at them. He had the kanji for 'sea' tattooed on his left cheek and carried a cleaver sword.

"How dare you pirates kill my partner?!" the man then swung his sword, which ended up slicing some of the rails.

"Hey! That's vandalism!" Gian protested.

"Shut up! I will avenge my partner's death! Know that I killed plenty of pirates in my life, and you will-" the man wasn't able to finish before Luffy punched him.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but do not damage our ship!" he yelled as his fist slammed him into the wall."

"Seriously, we just got this! We can sue!"

"What's taking so long, isn't there just- wait, Johnny?" the duo heard Zoro come out of the kitchen and his eyes widened as he saw a familiar face.

"Who dares to say my name with such- eh? Zoro-aniki!" the man, now known as Johnny, got a small surprise.

"Zoro tell your friend he's paying for the reparations!"

"Where's Yosaku? Aren't you two always together?"

Johnny's head drooped at that "Yosaku… was fine until just a few days ago! Then one day he suddenly said he felt sick and his old wounds have opened up again! Lately his teeth have been falling out as well."

Johnny then led them to the edge of the Going Merry, where a boat was shown to be tied to it. Lying on the boat and panting weakly was another man wearing a green jacket with yellow shorts and a red headpiece.

"We were resting on that rock until you guys blew it up." At this Luffy and Usopp started panicking and Gian let out a nervous laugh.

"Wait… let me take a look at him." Nami stepped forward and brought the ailing man onto the ship. Johnny tried to protest but was held back. After a few minutes she sighed and turned to the crew.

"Didn't Kaya give us some citrus?" she asked.

Luffy, Gian, and Usopp, after hearing this, immediately ran to the storage. Soon they came out with bundles of fruit.

"Why can't I hold all these limes?" Gian stumbled with his hands full.

"WHO TOLD YOU TO TAKE ALL OF THEM?! PUT SOME OF THEM BACK!" Nami screamed. She then started squeezing some of the lemons into the man's mouth.

"He's got scurvy" Nami explained "It's a good thing we found him pretty early so he should be better in a few days."

"Is that true?"

"Yeah don't worry, all he needs is some vitamin C."

"Wow Nami you're amazing!" Luffy and the rest of the guys nodded.

"You all should know this to begin with!" she snapped back "And not everyone can heal like you so don't bring it up!" Gian meekly lowered his hand.

A few seconds later Yosaku opened his eyes and stood up straight. "I feel better already!" he declared, and then did a happy dance with Johnny.

"YOU DON'T RECOVER THAT FAST!"

The duo then faced the crew

"Sorry for not introducing ourselves earlier. I'm Johnny-" Johnny said.

"And I'm Yosaku." Yosaku answered as well.

"We are pirate hunters! Zoro-aniki used to work with us, it's a pleasure to meet all of you."

"I'm quite surprised to see you both here, to be honest." Zoro admitted.

"We're more surprised; to think that 'Pirate Hunter' Zoro is now a pirate himself!" Yosaku answered.

"Heh, even I don't know how I got myself into this. But they're an alright bunch."

 _Later:_

Everyone was once again gathered in the kitchen, save for Johnny who is now accompanying Yosaku after the latter fell unconscious yet again hours before.

"Let this be a lesson for all of us, these kind of things are known to happen on a trip." Nami told everyone "So in this case, I believe we need someone that knows about the dietary business."

"I get it, we need a cook!" Luffy finally caught on.

"Has science gone too far? He actually figured something out." Gian chuckled.

"Yeah! Then we'll have plenty of food!" Usopp agreed. At this the crew turned to see Johnny coming into the kitchen.

"If you need any help, I know a place where you can find a cook."

"We're all ears." Gian nodded.

"But it's pretty close to the Grand Line… also from what we heard, the man Zoro-aniki is trying to find, Hawk Eyes, is around there too." Upon hearing this Zoro became determined and Gian's eyebrows went up.

"What's business does he have outside of the Grand Line?"

"I don't know, all I know is that he's around in the area for some reason."

"Well considering our otherwise lack of options, I'd say we might as well risk it. It's up to you Luffy." Gian sighed.

"Yosh! Take us there!" Luffy agreed almost instantly.

 _The next day:_

The Going Merry sailed close to what appears to be a ship shaped like a floating fish. Luffy and Usopp were very excited, and the other members of the ship were rather excited as well.

"There it is everyone! The floating sea restaurant Baratie!" Johnny and Yosaku pointed.

Their excitement died when they saw a marine ship sail towards them.

"W-what? Why are they here?!" Yosaku panicked.

"Don't tell me they're here to catch us!" Usopp was panicking as well.

"They shouldn't be, we haven't exactly done anything quite yet." Gian pointed out.

"This could be trouble…" Zoro narrowed his eyes.

The ship pulled up alongside them and a man stepped out. He had light purple hair and was wearing a striped suit.

"I am lieutenant Fullbody, which one of you is the captain?"

"That would be me!" Luffy waved. Usopp also added his own input, but was ignored.

Fullbody then spotted the two bounty hunters.

"I've seen you guys around before, you two claim to be pirate hunters right? Looks like you finally caught something for once!" The lieutenant sneered.

Johnny and Yosaku, clearly agitated by that comment, were further insulted when the man laughed.

"We'll show you what we're capable of!" the two of them rushed towards him at once, but only a moment later were they lying on the deck battered and bruised.

"This ship is an eyesore, sink it!" Fullbody scoffed and pointed towards the Going Merry before heading into the restaurant with his date.

At this time, Nami noticed a bunch of wanted posters scattered around the deck; Johnny was carrying them before heading off to defend his honor. One poster stuck out in particular, and when Nami picked it up, a very similar chill crept up her spine and she let out a gasp.

The grinning poster of 'Saw Tooth' Arlong, a fishman worth 20 million beri was what was on it. Seeing this again once again reminded her why she was out here in the first place.

So lost in her thoughts she didn't even notice Gian coming up to her.

"Hey, you feeling ok? You've been looking at that like you saw a ghost!" hearing this Nami's head shot up in a fake smile as she crumpled the piece of paper up.

"Yeah! Just fine! Sorry I think I spaced out!"

Before Gian could say anything else, Usopp suddenly pointed in the distance and screamed; the marine ship had pointed its cannon towards them.

"Don't worry, I got this!" Luffy declared as his body swelled up in his **Gomu-Gomu no** **Fusen** ability in order to deflect the cannonball. He meant to bounce it back at the ship, but he misjudged the direction and bounced the ball towards the ceiling of the restaurant instead. The result was a huge hole in the roof.

"…Lord… if we can just go one day without our captain starting shit, then we'd be so happy …" Gian sweatdropped as an army of angry chefs surrounded them and took Luffy away.

 _Soon:_

"Here's the one who destroyed our roof!" two of the chefs tossed Luffy towards the head chef of the restaurant. The head chef was a man that's catching up on his age, with a tall hat and a serious expression. His blond colored beard was tied into two long braids. The most noticeable feature about him was his right leg; it was missing and replaced with a wooden peg. His name is Zeff, a former pirate himself now in charge of this seafaring restaurant.

"Ahhh! I'm sorry!" Luffy cried out when he saw the man's prosthetic.

"Oh this? It didn't happen just now, so don't worry about it." Zeff then glared hard at the boy "What _did_ happen, is that you blew a hole in my roof! What are you planning to do about that?!"

"I'm sorry, I don't have any money…" Luffy hung his head.

Zeff smirked "Well in that case, you'll just have to work to pay it off."

"Oh, alright! Sure I'll do that!"

"Judging by the size of the whole, you should be able to pay off your debt in… One Year." All the smiles on Luffy's face was wiped clean off.

"W-w-what?! One year?! But I have an adventure to go on!"

"Well, that isn't my problem."

"How about a week instead?" Luffy pleaded.

"What did you say?" Zeff narrowed his eyes.

"2 weeks then" Luffy tried again.

"I told you already, the amount of damage that you caused should be covered after a year; you don't honestly think you can pay it off in only 2 weeks?"

"Fine! 3 weeks! Take it or leave it!"

As a result of his imprudence, Luffy received a heavy kick from the man.

"You think that it's that easy? That you can just make demands like you own this place?" Zeff growled at the boy.

"I don't care! I waited 10 years to be a pirate! I can't wait another!"

"Hmm… well there is _one_ way." Zeff mused. He had to admit the boy was rather headstrong.

"Oh? What's that?"

"You can pay me with another leg instead!"

"Wahhh?! That's not possible!"

"Then you stay. End of discussion." With that, any further protest was no use.

 _Meanwhile_

Fullbody and the pretty lady that he's with were sitting at a table with plates of food and drink. As they were enjoying themselves, another person walked up and poured them a glass of wine. The man was youthful looking wearing a neat-looking black suit and equally formal black pants. His blond hair was rather long with it covering one of his eyes; the other revealed an eyebrow that ended in a spiral. The man finished pouring the drink, all the while casually smoking a cigarette.

As Fullbody took a sip of the wine, his eyes lit up "This is exquisite! The taste! The fragrance! It's the fragrance of Mitqueo City from up North! The sour and spicy taste, this is Wurzburger Stein isn't it? Waiter, am I right?"

The man didn't answer at first, but when Fullbody went to reach for his spoon, he suddenly found his wrist in a tight grip.

"No… it isn't, _sir_." the man drawled. He then forced a spoon into the lieutenant's hand.

"Enjoy your soup, don't let it get cold." The man then walked away.

"Oh, by the way. My name is Sanji, I'm the sous-chef not the waiter. We don't have any waiters here anymore." He called back once again, Leaving Fullybody glowering after him with a vengeful expression.

 _Meanwhile:_

"Alright, since Luffy is taking L's in there we might as well go get something to eat while we wait for him, sound good?" Gian proposed, and there was general agreement from everybody except for Johnny and Yosaku, who volunteered to stay behind and look aftet the ship.

"What's Luffy taking?" Usopp asked.

"Don't worry about it, let's go in."

Zoro and Usopp went ahead and Gian was about to go as well, but noticed that Nami slightly lagged behind with a distant look on her face.

"Uhhh… you not hungry or something?" Hearing Gian's voice jolted her back into reality.

"Oh! Yeah! Let's go."

"Do you even know where we're going?"

"T-to the restaurant right?"

"Ok, so you're still with us. But just to let you know, don't let despair consume you; if you do, then you've already lost."

Nami's eyes widened "W-what are you talking about?"

"Heh, you know exactly what I'm trying to say. Your eyes, your actions, they're speak of loss and anger. I would know after all, I've been in the same situation. I've actually noticed it for a while now."

"You don't know anything, don't act you do. This isn't something so simple…" Nami snapped.

"I'm just saying, we can help you. We've been travelling together for some time now; you're family and we would be there whenever you need."

"You don't understand… what I'm dealing with right now. Can we please drop this?" Nami whispered as Gian was about to say something else.

"Fine, I'll give you your space. But I'm telling you. If you need anything, we're right here. You really don't want to hold onto whatever's bothering you for too long." With that he turned and walked towards the restaurant. Nami stayed for a bit longer and then followed. A part of her desperately wanted to accept the offer, but she can't drag them into her mess, she just couldn't.

 _Later:_

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU GUYS!" Luffy shouted while his crew sat at a table. The captain of the Straw Hat Pirates was forced to become a waiter himself in order to pay off his debts. It was just too good of a coincidence for his crew to witness this as well. The 4 of them could barely contain their laughter.

"Hey! I heard you have to be a waiter for an entire year! Does that mean I get to be captain now?" Usopp giggled.

"Can I redraw the flag?" Zoro chortled.

"I guess we'll have to use my flag design after all! Skrehahaha!" Gian almost fell out of his chair.

"Shut up! How can you all just sit here and eat all this good food without me?!" Luffy huffed, then spotted Gian's glass of water. He decided to do some mischief and picked his nose, putting the extraction into the glass with Gian seemingly not noticing. Nami, Usopp and Zoro all did however, and had to cover their mouths in order to not laugh.

"Yep, this food really does look good" Gian raised his glass and seemed to be just about to take a swig "And to tell you the truth, I do feel kind of bad leaving you out of this. After all, food should be _SHARED!"_ swiftly he grabbed Luffy's head and forced the booger-water down his throat. Luffy immediately screamed and started writhing on the floor, choking out "I can't breathe!" repeatedly.

"That was disgusting! For crying out loud we're at a freaking restaurant! Show some class will ya?!" Gian scowled as Luffy's suffering continued. The rest of the crew could no longer hold back their mirth and all erupted in uproarious laughter, which drew the attention of pretty much everyone in the restaurant.

 _With Sanji:_

" _What a noisy bunch… looks like they know each other."_ Sanji frowned as he observed the group. He hasn't really talked to the new waiter yet, but he deducted that they must be part of a crew. Looking further he saw that one of the members of the crew is a pretty orange haired girl.

Before he could do anything he was rudely interrupted by a certain marine.

"Hey waiter! What is the meaning of this?" Fullbody demanded.

"I thought I told you I'm not the waiter?" Sanji scoffed as he went over to his table. He first noticed the pretty girl that accompanied the marine lieutenant. The chef's expression immediately turned more suave "I do have to say you have great taste in company. How about it miss? You and I ditch this poor sod and have some wine together?" This naturally incurred a reaction from the marine.

"Is this what you call service? What kind of restaurant serves bug soup to people?" picking up his soup bowl, Fullbody revealed that there was a bug in the dish. In truth he had put it there himself, but no one needed to know that!

"We don't serve that here."

"Then how would you explain this?"

"I don't know… I'm not an expert on bugs." Sanji coolly answered back. This managed to make the lieutenant lose his temper.

"How dare you?!" Fullbody threw the soup bowl down and it broke into pieces.

Sanji simply bent down and began picking up the pieces.

"If you had picked the bug out, it would've still been edible. This soup took 3 days and nights to make."

"You show such an arrogant tone toward customers? I paid good money for this meal and-" Fullbody never got to finish his sentence when he noticed Sanji sending him a death glare.

"Can money… fill your stomach?"

"What?"

"I asked if money can fill your stomach. Well can it?"

Before Fullbody could even answer he was suddenly struck by a lightning fast kick. What followed was a brutal beat down, curtsey of the sous-chef. By the end of that tirade, Fullbody was bloody and beaten while he was being held by the neck.

"Don't go ruining our food. Messing with a sea cook, is a good way of getting you killed…"

"What the hell Sanji? How dare you rough up our customers?" another voice alerted him as he saw a large burly man walking towards him. This man is Patty, another chef of the Baratie.

"You got a problem with that shitty cook? This man insulted our restaurant and ruins our food. I'm just teaching him a lesson."

"Do you treat all your customers like this? How do you even stay in business? I'll destroy it. I'll destroy this whole restaurant!" Fullbody shouted.

"Then you aren't leaving here alive."

"Sanji! Stop this right now!" a third voice boomed. Unlike before, Sanji actually stopped his assault this time.

"Fighting in my restaurant again? You insolent brat, who do you think you are?" the commanding voice of Zeff was not something to be ignored.

"Shut it, old fart." Sanji got a kick for that.

"And you!" Turning to Fullbody, Zeff's glare was no less severe "get the hell out of here." Fullbody let out another squeak of fear, before he could move, a marine burst into the restaurant.

"Commander Fullbody! We have a problem! Don Krieg's right hand man escaped!"

"W-what?! How?! Wasn't he half-starved to death when we found him?"

Hearing this news the restaurant began to feel uneasy.

* * *

"Wow… this place is pretty famous, even Don Krieg knows about it." Gian commented.

"Who's Don Krieg?" Luffy asked.

"Don Krieg is the most notorious pirate in East Blue. From what I've heard the guy has a fleet of 50 ships. If he's coming here, you can expect some action to go down."

* * *

"I'm sorry lieutenant! I thought that-" whatever he was about to say next would never be known, as a sudden gunshot sounded. The next thing anyone knew, the marine soldier was lying on the ground.

A grizzled man then entered the restaurant. One look at the man could tell you that he's been through a lot. His grey jacket hung loosely to his frame, and his thin, wiry hair clung to his head band. His eyes were harsh, scanning everyone in the restaurant as he gripped the gun tightly. Despite all he's been through, there was no doubt that this man could be dangerous.

"We have another customer it seems." Patty declared.

"Hmph, he better not cause any more trouble." Zeff dismissed.

"This is a restaurant isn't it? I don't care what it is, just give me something to eat! I haven't eaten in days!" the man demanded, panting ever so slightly.

"Welcome, mere bastard! Do you have any money before hand?" Patty rolled out his usual line. He then found himself faced with the pistol.

"I'll pay you with a bullet, is that ok?"

"So, no money then." The stocky cook simply raised his arms and slammed them onto the man, crushing him to the floor of the restaurant as well as destroying the chair he was sitting on.

"Patty! Watch the furniture!" Zeff scowled.

"Wow, pretty strong!" Luffy whistled.

"This is more than a restaurant it seems." Gian mumbled.

"If you don't have money, then you don't get to eat!" Patty then continued his beating on the weakened man, which ended with him throwing him out of the restaurant. At this, everybody in the establishment save for the Strawhats were cheering.

"That was a bit harsh… most people find will that helping the homeless is a virtue." Gian frowned.

"That man isn't homless, He's one of Krieg's men! If he's fed he'd probably just kill everyone here!" a customer next to him informed him.

"Yeah, well have you seen the cooks here? Pretty sure they can take down an entire army if they wanted to."

While this was happening, Sanji went to the kitchen without a word.

 _A few minutes later:_

"Damn that cook… if only I wasn't so…" the pirate from before groaned to himself as he lay on the outside of the restaurant.

"Hey, you're starving aren't you?" he heard someone and looked up to see Luffy perched on the second floor with Gian. Said man was pointing at a roll of bread, asking if he wants it.

"G-get lost… I ain't hungry…"

"And they say gratitude isn't dead…" Gian mumbled

Just then the door opened and Sanji stepped out with a plate of fried rice and a cup of water. The food was placed in front of the weakened pirate.

"Eat" no other words were necessary

"Get that plate out here! I don't need your pity!" the pirate growled.

"Don't be so hard, eat it. I know what it's like to be hungry" Sanji replied "To me, anybody who's starving is a customer."

"But… I don't have money…"

Sanji sighed "the sea is a cruel mistress, to not have food or water is a terrible feeling. Believe me when I say that I understand those who are starving more than you think I do. If you want to die with dignity I won't stop you, but if you eat you can wake up to a better tomorrow, isn't that right?"

Tears began welling up in the pirate's eyes. He then picked up the plate and began wolfing down the dish as fast as he could chew.

"It's delicious, it's the most delicious food I've ever had in my life! I-I thought I was going to die back there…"

While this is happening, Luffy and Gian watched with a smile on their face.

"I know that look Luffy, go talk to him."

"Yup! I think I just found our cook!"

"Excuse me?" Sanji looked up. The pirate looked up from his meal as well.

"He didn't stutter, he just asked you to be the chef of our pirate crew. It shouldn't be too strange, considering that old guy was a pirate in his life time. He was, wasn't he?" Gian said.

He was, quite an infamous one at that, and so were all of the chefs. I wasn't a part of his crew and he's retired now. Today he owns this restaurant, though most people just come here to see cooks fight against pirates."

"So please don't damage this place much more, because this restaurant is worth more to him than any treasure."

"You hear that? No more cannonballs for you." Gian directed this part at Luffy.

"It was an accident…"

"You guys are looking for a cook still? Your crew must be quite small…" the starving man, who was eating before, pitched in.

"Yeah, we only 6 including him right now." Luffy pointed at Sanji.

"Hey! I didn't say I'd join your shitty crew!" the blond chef shot back.

"Well I want you to join us!"

"I refuse! I have my reasons staying here!" Sanji argued.

"I refuse your refusal!" Of course, Luffy wasn't giving in "You're a great cook, come with us!"

"You can't just-"

"Hey, don't bother arguing, your fate was sealed the moment he opened his mouth." Gian chirped.

"If I may ask, what is your goal of becoming a pirate?" the other pirate, now finished his food, asked from the side.

"I'm going to be the Pirate King!" Luffy declared as adamantly as ever.

"Pirate King? You look quite young, I don't see why you need to go to the Grand Line right now. After all it is only one small part of the world's ocean, so there's much less dangerous places to travel to." The pirate said with a hint of concern.

"Don't worry, we know what we're doing." Luffy answered.

"Look kid, my name is Gin and I'm one of the Krieg Pirates. Our crew headed into the Grand Line a few weeks ago, and we were caught completely off guard. It's far too dangerous." Gin shuddered at the memory.

"Tis what happens to those who do not prepare beforehand. But like he said we actually made some preparations." Gian assured him.

"Well if you think you're ready, then I won't stop you. Don't say I didn't warn you though" Gin sighed "Well, I should be going now. You already went behind their backs feeding me Sanji-san, I wouldn't want to get you into any more trouble."

"Feeding you? I wouldn't know of it." Sanji retorted as he kicked the plate into the sea.

"Thank you Sanji-san, you saved my life. Just a question, do you think I can come again?" Gin asked sincerely.

"Sure, come back anytime!"

With that, Gin set off on a small boat "Thank you again! I won't forget it, ever!"

The 3 waved back before they heard another demanding voice.

"Oi! Get back to work, Eggplant! And you as well new waiter!" unbeknownst to him, Zeff had witnessed everything from behind the door. Not that he was surprised; it wasn't the first time Sanji did something like this after all. Sanji sighed and walked back into the restaurant.

"Ahhh! The old man!" Luffy cried.

"Let him off! I'm having a conversation with my captain!" Gian told him.

"Oh, so you're his crewmate, then you can share his debt, both of you to the kitchen!"

"Yeah just- WAIT, WHAT?!"

Zeff let out an amused smirk while Luffy laughed as Gian crumpled to the floor. Nobody knew just then, that the man they just saved was about to bring a storm to the sea restaurant.

 **A/N: With the release of this chapter, I want to say a special announcement. As of right now, this story has officially past the 10 000 views milestone. Over 10 000 views! That means more than 10 000 people has seen this story! I'm just really happy that that many people know that this exists.**

 **G: thank you all for the continued support! Your happiness is our gain!**

 **So not much changed with the start of this arc, except for a few extra Gian moments. Depending on what I decide later on, I might actually cut the arc off and have Gian go with the others to Cocoyashi, mainly because I don't know if he staying would actually be meaningful.**

 **G: Why did you do that ending?!**

 **Because you're being a little bitch right now.**

 **G: Fuck you!**

 **But anyways, that's all up in the air right now. I would like some public opinion of whether Gian should stay for the whole of the Baratie Arc or go with Usopp and the rest to Cocoyashi Village. Leave a review or PM me your thoughts! Thank you all again, and thank you all for the continued support!**

 **Leave a review and-**

 **G: No! I will not go through that again!**

 **What, I was going to let you play Super Smash Bros.**

 **G: Oh… alright, that's pretty nice.**

… **And then you'll run a marathon!**

 **G: Go to fucking hell!**


	15. Clash of Swords

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are owned by Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **So last chapter was pretty boring. I'll try to make it up with this one. Enjoy:**

"How did I get myself into this again?" Gian moaned as he finished scrubbing another plate. He's never worked in the restaurant business, and he honestly hoped he never will. Now, thanks to a certain idiot captain, he had to help out.

"You talked back to the head chef." Luffy responded.

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Gian wept. It was really hard work; why does this restaurant have so many people eating at once?!

" _Well, if it helps Luffy pay off his damages, then I guess it's worth it."_

"Damn, this is hard! Now I know how Coby feels…" Luffy sighed.

"I'm still mad at you."

"Waaah, Gian is so mean!"

"Hey you two hurry it up!" a chef named Carne shouted at them. The two sighed and continued their work.

"We're still getting our chef right?" Gian reminded him

"Don't worry Gian, I haven't forgotten. I'll get him to join us in no time!" Luffy promised him.

 _Much later:_

"Gian's log: Luffy still hasn't made any progress in convincing that cook. How stubborn can culinary people be?! The crew is getting impatient, tension is growing. I don't think mutiny might occur but nobody wants to stay here any longer. Must leave… Must leave…" Gian muttered while rocking back and forth.

"He's losing it." Zoro commented.

"Hey Luffy! Can you hurry it up?" Usopp called.

"I'm almost there! I'm sure he'll open up soon!" Luffy answered back.

It's been 4 days since they arrived at the restaurant, and in this time Luffy had made countless attempts to approach the sous-chef of the Baratie to come with them. However, Sanji was having none of it and shot him down everytime. Even Gian pitched in at times and still no dice.

"I don't see why we have to leave so soon, we get good service!" Nami said; Sanji had taken quite a liking to her and she had been using it to her full advantage.

"That's only you!" Zoro snapped "Beside Gian's going to go crazy helping Luffy pay off the roof."

"Hehehe! Noooo! I am more aware than all of youuu! They call _me_ the crazy one, when they're just the same! All of us, cogs in a system! Whatever shall we dooo?" said youth called out from the sides.

"…yeah… I guess…"

The atmosphere was suddenly punctured by gasps of fear, followed by screams. Even the chefs were beginning to feel uneasy. The source of their terror was a large purple ship sailing towards the restaurant. It had a figurehead of what appears to be a tiger. Shrouded by the mist, it was truly a terrifying sight.

"I-I-It's here! Don Krieg's Ship!"

"MORE CUSTOMERS I WILL- oh, this is something new." Gian's demeanor returned to normal as he too saw what's coming.

"HE'S CURED JUST LIKE THAT?!" Usopp facefaulted.

"Wow that ship is huge! Do you think Gin is coming to pay you back?" Luffy asked Sanji.

"I doubt it… but I have a bad feeling about this."

"Did they run the thing through a mountain or something? It's totaled!" Gian remarked. Sure enough, the massive ship had sustained heavy damage, with much of its hull seemingly torn to pieces.

"What's weird is that it doesn't look like it's been attacked by guns or cannon fire, parts of the ship look like it had been cut apart, by maybe a sword or a large blade." Sanji added.

" _What kind of sword can do that much damage to a ship? Better question is what kind of person is wielding that sword? There's only one person that could do something like this, but he shouldn't have any reason to be around here! Wait… didn't Johnny and Yosaku say something about this? It can't possibly be true, can it?"_ Gian thought.

His thoughts were interrupted when the door barged open. In walked Gin looking not much different than before. The purple haired man with him however, stood at least a foot higher. He was wearing what looks like a fur coat. Gin was supporting him with his shoulders.

"Please… Give me something to eat! If its money you want then I have plenty of that!" the large man called out weakly "I haven't eaten in a long time!"

"What's with him?" Carne whispered.

"Is this really Don Kreig…?" Patty muttered

"Please! My captain hasn't eaten for days!" Gin gasped as Krieg dropped to the floor "If he doesn't eat anything else he could die! We have money this time!"

"This is too perfect! Don Krieg, left at the mercy of hunger! Someone call the marines! They'd never pass up this chance!" Patty chortled. Other customers in the restaurant voiced similar concerns, calling that he should not be fed.

"Please… I promise… I won't do anything! Even if you offer me garbage I would eat it!" the pirate begged again. His forehead slammed to the floor.

"Don Krieg! You should not bow your head like this!" Turning back to the chefs Gin shouted "We have money this time! Are we not customers?!"

"Tch! I'm not that sympathetic, don't even- hey! Sanji what the hell are you doing?!"

"Here, give this to him." Said cook placed a plate of food and a bottle of wine in front of Gin, who immediately offered it to his captain.

"YOU IDIOT! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE?!"

"I actually have to agree with the others here, Gin I'm not sure about but Don Krieg is someone who would stop at nothing to make sure he wins." Gian warned him as well.

"So he's a snake then?" Luffy asked.

"A viper to be precise. Some of his known strategies include attacking cities while disguising his ship as a marine ship, as well as pretending to surrender only to have a trap set up. They're effective but cowardly." Many people in the restaurant agreed with this statement.

Indeed, what they feared the most seemed to be coming true, for the minute Don Krieg finished his meal he reared up and slammed his fist into Sanji, sending him into the wall of the restaurant and eliciting a cry of fear from everyone, including his own crewmate.

"D-Don Krieg… this isn't what you said you would do! You promised me you wouldn't hurt these people! That's why I brought you here!" Gin protested. Before he could say anything else he let out a cry of pain as the larger pirate grabbed his arm and began squeezing.

"I feel reenergized! This is a great restaurant… I think I'll take it!"

"Bastard… so that's his plan…" Sanji hissed.

"As I suspected… you can't expect a snake to show any gratitude…" Gian glowered.

"My ship is ruined, I want a new one. I also have 100 men on that ship who are starving. Prepare food and water for all of them and deliver it to us at once."

"Don! That's not what you-" Gin tried to intervene again but was shot down by a glare.

"Who do you think you are?! There's no way we'd do that!" the cooks of the Baratie announced unanimously.

"Is that so? Then I guess I didn't make it clear enough. I'm not ordering food: I'm demanding it. And NOBODY EVERY DISOBEYS ME!"

"Sanji-san… I'm so sorry, this wasn't supposed to happen…" Gin whispered with genuine regret.

Sanji said nothing, only began walking towards the kitchen.

"And where do you think you're going?" Patty warned.

"Where else? To the kitchen to prepare food for 100 people."

"What?! Are you out of your mind?!" Carne shouted. Immediately a group of cooks blocked the way to the kitchen.

"We'll never let you in the kitchen!" the cooks shouted as they brandished their weapons, which happened to be oversized kitchen utensils themselves.

"Do it then, I don't care. It doesn't matter that he's a bully, if there are people that are hungry then I cook for them, isn't that what we're supposed to do as cooks?" Sanji responded while spreading his arms.

Patty sighed; he knew this was bound to happen. Striding over he slammed his arm into his colleague and knocked him aside.

"Get him out of here, we'll handle it here. Sorry Sanji, but all I care about right now is protecting this restaurant."

Turning to the Don, Patty then pulled out a lobster shaped bazooka. "Did you enjoy your meal Krieg? Then have some dessert! **Shokutari Meatball!** "

The weapon then shot out a cannonball, it struck the large pirate and exploded, shrouding the impact zone in smoke.

"You did it Patty!" Everyone cheered.

"Heh, for the most feared pirate in East Blue he's really a pushover!"

"Is that so, stupid cook?" the dreadful voice shouted.

The smoke cleared to reveal Don Krieg completely unscathed. His previous fur coat has been discarded; underneath it had been a suit of golden armor.

"Given such awful dessert… IS THIS HOW YOU TREAT CUSTOMERS HERE?!" with a pop, multiple firearms revealed themselves to be hiding under the armor. Don Krieg then fired all of them simultaneously, but before any of them could hit Luffy managed to jump in front of the cooks and deflect the bullets with his **Gomu-Gomu no Fusen** ,

"Know that my Wootz steel armor is completely indestructible! This is one of the reasons why I'm the strongest man in the world! With my diamond punch and my 5000 men, I've never lost a battle!"

"Luffy… we might have to do something here…" Gian muttered. But before anything could be done…

"Here! Take it and leave!" a voice brought everyone's attention. Zeff threw a bag full of food in front of the Don.

"Owner Zeff! What are you doing?! If they get their strength back who knows what they might do!" everyone shouted.

"I guess that's where Sanji got his philosophy from…" Gian mumbled.

"Zeff, is it?" Even Don Krieg was rather surprised.

"Well, they need to have the guts first, isn't that right, Mr. Couldn't-Get-Through-The-Grand-Line?" Zeff sneered

"Wh-what? Even Don Krieg with his 50 ships couldn't get through?" Carne gasped.

"Why are you all so surprised? The Grand Line isn't a place where you can just waltz in and expect to be fine you know?" Gian chided.

"So, you're alive after all… 'Red Leg' Zeff, former captain of the Cook Pirates! Back in the day it's said that you could kick an enemy so hard that your shoes would be stained with their blood, thus giving you your title. Gone away and become a chef now, haven't you? Quite a shame of you losing that leg!" Krieg regained his composure.

"I don't exactly need legs to cook, and there's no need to fight nowadays" Zeff glanced at his peg.

"You have a logbook of the Grand Line, I want it!" Krieg demanded.

"You been to the Grand Line too, old man?" Luffy asked.

"I did, and I think there was a journal of it, but I'm not giving it to him."

"Yay! Fellow journal writer!" Gian cheered and asked for a high five, but received none.

"I WILL have it! I require it to know about the Grand Line and find the One Piece! Then I will become Pirate King!" Krieg roared.

"Hey! The one who will be Pirate King is me!" Luffy naturally shouted.

"Do we really need a dick-comparing contest here?" Gian chuckled, then directed his glare at the Don "But what makes you think you could just use other people to make up for your failure? If you really are worth your salt then you would've made preparations months before going to the Grand Line, but instead your ignorance has nearly costed you your life." The cooks tried to calm them down, but to no avail.

"Do you think this is a joke?" Don Krieg growled "Even if there was a lack of information, my fleet of 5000 people only lasted 7 days! What makes you think a punk like you two can do anything?"

"Krieg's fleet only lasted 7 days?!" the cooks were all shocked.

"Wow… Sadako must've did a number on them…" Gian scoffed.

"…what?"

"Never mind, but you see how it is, an arrogant fool like him who doesn't take anything into consideration can't last in the World's Most Dangerous Sea."

"You two are getting on my nerves…" Krieg snarled as guns popped out of his armor again. Before he could do anything he noticed Zoro unsheathing one of his swords. Also Usopp was trying to hide himself.

"You two starting things without us?" the swordsman grinned.

"Can't help it, I've been scrubbing plates for 4 days I need to vent." Gian smiled and his eyes turned amber.

"D-Do we really have to fight?" Usopp fearfully whispered.

"You don't have to, I do." Gian grinned. Being cooped up in that kitchen means that the next person who pissed him off is really going to get it. "By the way, where did Nami disappear off to?"

"She said she went back to help Johnny and Yosaku guard the ship." Usopp answered.

"Oh… that sounds fair." Gian nodded, but inside he couldn't help but think something bad is going to happen.

"You only have that many men with you?" Krieg sneered.

"Nope! There's two more!" Luffy shouted.

"Hey, why are you counting me in?!" Sanji snapped from the side.

"Why are you still going on about this?! You're in the crew, end of story." Gian reminded him.

"No, I'm not!"

Krieg sized them up for a few more seconds, before turning away with the bag of food. "I'll deal with you lot later, first I need to feed my men. If you don't want to die, I suggest you get out of here."

It was silent for a bit after Krieg left, until Gin broke the silence.

"Sanji-san… I'm so sorry… I really didn't mean for any of this to happen…"

"I don't need an apology from the likes of you!" Zeff snapped "we are cooks, and we feed anyone that comes here."

"Owner Zeff! Why are you siding with Sanji? It's this fault this happened!" the rest of the cooks all protested.

"Shut up you lousy eggplants! None of you know the feeling of starvation! Sanji does! He knows this better than any of you!" the head chef shot back.

"Gin… feeding the hungry is what we do." Sanji said to him, before slamming his foot down on the table beside him "But just in case you were wondering, if any of your crewmembers do anything to this restaurant, I'll show them hell. Got it?"

"See? He's amazing isn't he?" Luffy complimented to his crew before turning to Gin. "You said you guys have been to the Grand Line, what was it like?

Gin froze when he was asked this question. "It was terrifying… I didn't even know if it was a dream or not… just one man… he cut down all 50 of our ships! This drew a horrified reaction from nearly everyone at the scene with the exception of a few. Zoro and Gian had a surprised look on their faces, as did Luffy.

"We didn't even expect it… he just sank our ships one by one… if a storm hadn't come along even our flagship would've been destroyed… I can still remember his piercing eyes… Those are the eyes of a hawk!"

"What did you say?!" Zoro suddenly shouted, surprising the people around him but before he could ask anything, Gian slammed his fist on the table.

"You know… I had a shred of sympathy for you and your crew before… I thought that you'd just been ill prepared for a journey like this. I had no idea you guys were borderline _RETARDED!"_

"W-what?"

"You heard me! Stupid! Brain-dead! Numbskull! Take your pick! If having no idea how bad the Grand Line wasn't bad enough, you had to go and pick a fight with a Shichibukai?! DO YOU ALL HAVE A DEATH WISH?!" Gian shouted.

"WE DIDN'T PICK A FIGHT WITH HIM! DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME? HE JUST CAME OUT OF NOWHERE AND DECIMATED US!" Gin shot back, the memories of the destruction flooding back.

"Heh, maybe you pissed him off by disturbing him from a nap." Zeff suggested.

"That's bullshit! Who would destroy an entire fleet of ship over something as trivial as that?!" Gin screamed.

"I was just making an assumption, don't overreact."

"Actually that's pretty probable. A man like 'Hawk Eyes' Dracule Mihawk is unpredictable like that. Truthfully I'm surprised he didn't just cut down 5 ships in a row. From what I heard he's perfectly capable of doing that. As one of the Royal 7, you don't compromise with someone like him." Gian scoffed.

"You know a lot more then you let on kid." Zeff glanced at him "Do you know him personally?" this led the rest of his crew to look at him with surprised eyes, especially Roronoa Zoro.

"I wouldn't say personal, but I did meet him once. He didn't do anything, but one glance could tell you that a man like him is not to be trifled with."

 **Flashback:**

" _Just two more days on this ship…" 15 year old Gian sat with Triton as they gazed out at the ocean. It was nighttime right now and dinner had been served. Now everyone was below deck doing their own thing with the exception of these two._

" _Gonna miss me?" Triton smirked. The little boy nodded slightly. He's excited, but he doesn't want to have to leave his new friends behind!_

" _Don't' worry, from now on your strong enough. No one would ever dare come at you again!" it was true, Triton has been an absolute drill sergeant towards their young charge, making sure he knew how to defend himself. Gian is already feeling some of the effects of their training, his muscles had become denser and he had more stamina. "So don't you-"Triton broke off mid-sentence._

" _We have company." Triton's sensing ability, thanks to his Titan-Titan no mi, with combination with his Kenbushoku haki allowed him to detect movement from almost 8 miles away._

" _Are we under attack?" Gian asked with concern. Being on the ship of a Yonko had its perks; almost no one would be dumb enough to attack one of the four Emperors. Some however, are way too overconfident for their own good, and cases like these are easily dealt with._

" _No… but you wouldn't exactly want to piss this person off either." Before anything else could be done, the two heard a thump on the ship's deck, followed by footsteps._

" _You haven't visited in a long time, 'Hawk Eyes'." Triton greeted. "Was starting to think you didn't like me anymore._

" _I did not know you were so privy to other people's attention 'Sea Scourge'" the voice was revealed to be a tall, chiseled looking man with an open black coat and a large hat. The man looked around his early 30s, with straight black hair and neatly trimmed facial hair. Across his back was gigantic ornate cross, and as he stepped closer Gian saw that it was a sword. The man's facial expression was stern, and his yellow, hawk-like eyes felt as if they could pierce a man on its own. "Where is 'Red Hair'?"_

" _Oh you know, he's taking a break, lying on his bed-"_

" _Hungover? I suspected as much. Fetch him." The man said curtly. He then noticed Gian peering at him with curiosity and anxiety "I didn't expect you guys to be doing child care."_

" _Geez, not even a 'nice to see you too?'" Triton huffed "He's travelling with us for now, we're taking him to meet up with some connections. Don't ask to many questions." With that he went below deck to fetch his captain._

 _With just Gian and the swordsman on the deck of the Red Force, it had gone awfully quiet. Gian was mentally urging himself to ask him a few things, but the man's intimidating aura made it rather difficult. Finally Gian went and broke the silence._

" _Um… Are you… Are you Dracule Mihawk?"_

" _Hmm? Why do you ask?"_

" _This is the Red Force, Ship of Red Haired Shank and the vessel of one of the Yonko. There wouldn't be visitors normally. The rest of the crew told me of a swordsman who once sought out Shanks-san many times for duels. I've heard the tales, and seeing you today makes it all add up. You have to be Dracule Mihawk, one of the Oka Shichibukai and the World's Greatest Swordsman"_

" _Seems like my reputation have gotten within the ears of even children. But yes, you assume correctly. That is my name. I do not know what else the rest of 'Red Hair's crew told you about me but you shouldn't pay too much mind to it."_

" _It's fascinating, to think that the World's Strongest Swordsman would be friends with one of the Yonko."_

" _Hmph, rather naïve of you to think that. Friendships do not come easy upon these seas. I'd expect you to know better than anyone else." This comment made Gian freeze._

" _H-how did-?"_

" _It was a guess, though to any observant person it's rather obvious. Your eyes have a kind of fire to them, a fire of determination that will to survive no matter what, even in the face of great loss. I've seen it many times myself in the eyes of those who I've dueled."_

"… _I understand." Gian concluded that he really didn't like this guy; he was way too observant, and the lax way he talked about those things just unnerved him even more!_

 _The next few minutes were rather uneventful; Mihawk was not the most talkative person in the world, and whenever Gian tried to ask him something he just replied it with short statements, not giving any room for further conversation. Eventually, Shanks managed to stumble on board._

" _Hawkyyyy! Good to see you again!" Shanks drunkenly blubbered._

" _And the man of the hour arrives…" Mihawk let out a sigh "Well, I will be off then, it was nice meeting you kid, and I hope we meet again." The swordsman then descended the stairs to discuss whatever he came here for._

" _Yeah… nice to meet you too…" Gian mumbled. Shanks-san really had a… interesting choice of friends._

 **Flashback end.**

"Wow… I didn't expect Shanks to be friends with him" Luffy said.

"Yeah… friend is way too much of a stretch. To be fair, I don't even know 'Hawk Eyes' has any friends." Turning to Gin, Gian's expression turned serious again.

"So now do you know just how lucky you people are? I apologize for losing my temper earlier, but the idea of someone just throwing their life away because they think they're immortal just doesn't sit well with me. Your captain is one of those people; he messed up and refused to even acknowledge that he screwed up." Gin was at a loss for words.

"Zoro seems to know him too." Luffy pointed out.

"He's the man I set out to find." Zoro replied "I never expected you two to have some sort of history."

"I wouldn't chatting history."

"If he's in the Grand Line, then I can definitely meet him there!" Zoro grew determined.

"Zoro… You can die." Gian said seriously. It wasn't a plea or even a voice of concern; just a simple statement.

"I am well aware of that. I threw my life away the minute I decided I will become the World's Greatest Swordsman."

"Good, just wondering."

"This is so exciting! The Grand Line is more exciting than I thought!" Luffy cheered.

"Are you guys all morons?! You're all that eager to die!" Sanji snapped "And you! You were so keen on telling Gin that his captain should've been more careful yet now you're encouraging your crewmate to do the opposite?" he directed this part at Gian.

"Actually, there's a clear difference. Unlike Krieg, Luffy and Zoro know exactly what they're getting into. They never once expected this to be easy and are more than aware that they can lose their life, yet they choose to do it because they've made it their dream. Krieg on the other hand think he's untouchable just because he's the most dominant pirate in East Blue, and he ended up paying the price." Gian retorted. Luffy and Zoro both smirked at their nakama, and Usopp nodded respectfully.

"Speaking of boneheaded pirates… our friends here look like they're coming in." Everyone turned to see the remaining Krieg Pirates assembled on the damaged flagship, preparing to attack. The chef's began to grow nervous and shakily raised their weapons. But before they can do anything….

 **SHHHINGGGG!**

Krieg's ship was cut cleanly into two pieces. The impact sent multiple pirates into the water. All the cook's jaws instantly met the floor, even Zeff's. With the Strawhats, Usopp was screaming and Luffy was shocked as well.

"W-what?! How did my ship get sliced in half?!" Don Krieg roared.

"We need to get to our boat!" Luffy shouted. The crew dashed out the restaurant, hoping that the Going Merry is alright. But when they reached the docking area…

"Where did it go?!" Usopp shouted.

Gian then noticed two figures running towards them; it was Johnny and Yosaku, both of them drenched in water.

"We-We're sorry!" the two of them cried.

"What the hell happened?! Where's the ship?" Zoro snapped.

"She-She stole it… Nami-Aneki took the ship with her!"

"WHAT?!" everybody cried out.

"Dammit… this just got a whole lot more complicated…" Gian growled.

Commotion suddenly sounded from the other group. The Strawhats then turned to see the source of their commotion. What, or in this case _who_ , they saw made their eyes widen almost out of their heads.

"That bastard… he tailed us here!" Krieg shouted.

"It's him…" Zoro breathed "To think I'd meet him this soon…"

"To think… he'd come to even East Blue…" Gian whispered. "Shit's about to hit the fan here… but down to business… how did two bounty hunters lose a ship from a girl?!" Gian pointed out.

"We were on the ship together and then she told us she needed to change clothe. We turned around and found ourselves in the water. She mentioned that she only joined you guys because she wanted the treasure, and that she was never a part of your crew!" the two wept.

"Damn it! She took advantage of us!" Zoro yelled.

"That ship was given to us by Kaya!" Usopp screamed.

" _Nami… what are you up to…?"_ Gian balled his hands into fists.

"I think I can still see it! Do you two still have your ship?"

"We do, but why-?"

"Alright! The rest of you go ahead and get our ship back!"

"Hold on! Why are we going after her?" Zoro questioned

"I need my navigator!" Luffy shot back.

The two of them glared at each other for a few seconds, until Zoro finally relented. "Fine! What an annoying captain you are."

"What about you Luffy?" Usopp asked.

"I still have a debt to pay off, I'll do it by beating that Krieg guy up! I also have to get Sanji to come with us!"

"In that case, then I'm staying as well." Gian said out of the blue, shocking everybody.

"In case you forgot, I kinda had to work for this restaurant as well…"

"I thought you hated it here." Luffy mentioned.

"I do, but I also don't break promises. Plus it'll make me feel better wailing on some of Krieg's guys. Something about him isn't sitting well with me."

"Oh, ok!"

"Whatever, it works for me." Zoro nodded.

"Don Krieg! It's the man who sank our fleet!" one of the Krieg pirates screamed.

"He's here to kill us!" another shouted.

Dracule Mihawk sat without a sound in his coffin shaped boat, his icy stare surveying everyone present…

"Why did you attack us?!" Krieg demanded.

Mihawk looked up and addressed the brash pirate with a condescending stare. "To pass time." Was his simple reply.

This answer did not satisfy Don Krieg in the least, he immediately pulled out a pair of pistols and fired wildly at the swordsman. Mihawk said nothing, only used his massive sword and pointed it at the incoming projectiles, deflecting them into the sea and shocking everyone.

" _As expected of the World's Greatest Swordsman… to have reflexes faster than the average bullet."_ Gian gulped. He then noticed Zoro walking forwards towards the man. The pirates around him all recognized the Santoryu user.

"Are you the one that cut the ship in half with that blade?" Zoro asked.

"Of course."

"It's clear now… You are the World's Greatest Swordsman. I've been travelling the seas to find you." Zoro steeled himself.

"Are you now? What is your goal?"

"To be the best!"

Mihawk scoffed. "Fool…"

Zoro then drew his signature sword, Wado Ichimonji "You said you have time? Then let's duel!"

"It is! It really is 'Pirate Hunter' Roronoa Zoro!" the Krieg Pirates all shouted. The chefs of the Baratie were quite surprised as well.

"So it really is coming to this…" Gian sighed.

"Um, guys? The Merry is getting further away from us… we need to leave now!" Usopp reminded them.

"I don't think Zoro will accept any idea of leaving right now."

Meanwhile Mihawk eyed the young swordsman, measuring up his worth. "You really are quite foolish to challenge me, if you really are a fine swordsman, you would see just how far apart we are. It means you're either brave or stupid."

"I don't care! This is for my ambitions…! And… as a promise to a lost friend…"

"Go Zoro-aniki!" Johnny shouted.

"You can do it!" Yosaku cheered as well.

"He won't win." Gian simply stated.

"What?! What is that supposed to mean?!"

"We're talking about someone who used to duel on a regular basis with one of the 4 emperors, I know Zoro is strong by East Blue standards, but out there that matters jack all. Mihawk outclasses him right now in every way imaginable. Though if Zoro manages to walk out of this alive, it's a good learning experience."

Back with the two swordsmen, Mihawk finally nodded, accepting the answer. He reached for his crucifix necklace and pulled it down, revealing a small knife.

"What are you doing?!" Zoro demanded.

"I'm not one of those people who use cannonballs to shoot rabbits. Though you are a strong swordsman, East Blue happens to be the weakest of the 4 seas. Unfortunately this is the smallest blade I have." Mihawk responded coolly.

" _Liar… we all saw you pull out that huge thing earlier. You could just tell him he's not worth your time… you aren't even taking him seriously!"_

"Then don't regret it when you die! **Oni Giri!"** Zoro entered his signature stance and dashed forward, intending to cut the older swordsman down. This technique, in the past, has cut down plenty of foes, and Zoro expects the same here. Little did he know, he was about to get a rude awakening.

 **CLANG!**

Zoro's eyes widen in shock. His signature attack was just stopped cold by a measly dagger, only by the tip!

"N-no way! No one's ever been able to stop that before!" Johnny yelped.

Luffy gulped, worried for his crewmate.

"I rest my case." Gian mumbled. He really wanted to step in at this point, but what purpose would that serve?

" _It can't be! How did he block that technique with only a toy? Our strength… it can't be that far apart!"_ Zoro thought desperately. He immediately broke off and tried more slashes, but each were blocked as easily as the first one.

The battle was soon growing increasingly one-sided. Zoro's attacks were beginning to become rougher and sloppier, each slash hindered by his increasing doubt. Mihawk on the other look barely winded.

"You are so unrestrained…" Mihawk mocked

"I didn't come this far only to lose to that!" he shouted and slashed with Wado Ichimonji, only for Mihawk to block it again.

" _This isn't even a battle at this point…"_ Gian gritted his teeth. The outcome was pretty much set in stone at this point.

"Weakling… what are you trying to prove?" Mihawk mocked him again.

"Oi! Zoro-aniki is not a weakling!"

"We'll show you!"

Before Johnny and Yosaku could do anything, they found themselves by Luffy and Gian.

"Don't make this any worse than it already is." Gian snapped at them.

" _I… can't afford to lose!"_ with that thought Zoro entered another stance **"Tora Gari!"** Zoro dashed forward again. But this time Mihawk didn't block. Before Zoro realized what was about to happen, he felt searing pain in his chest; Mihawk had impaled the dagger into him.

"Why did you not step back? That would've gone through your heart if you continued." Mihawk demanded.

"I… don't know… what I do know is… if I had taken a step back at that point… all I've worked for up to this point… would be lost…" Zoro let out a ragged reply.

"Even if it means your death?"

"Death would be the better option!" that statement changed everything.

"Boy! What is your name?" Mihawk asked with genuine curiosity.

"My name… is Roronoa Zoro!"

"Such a strong will you have! I will remember that name. As a reward for showing me that, I'll take your life with this black blade!"

The massive blade hanging across his back was released. Sizing taller than even he is, Yoru is truly a fearsome weapon. It's decorated cross-shaped guard was decorated with orbs of varying colors. In the midday sun, the signature black steel gleamed dangerously.

Gian gulped; he'd only heard about this weapon through some of the Red Hair Pirates' stories! His heart began pounding double time when seeing it; if those tales of this weapon's cutting through entire mountains were true, then Zoro would-

"I appreciate the gesture." Zoro then held his swords in a spiral stance. This was the most powerful technique he knows thus far. If this failed, then he knew what would happen.

"Aniki! Please stop this!" Johnny and Yosaku screamed.

" **Santoryu Ogi: Sanzen Sekai!"** with both blades spinning and Wado Ichimonji in his mouth, Zoro dashed forward. Mihawk followed suit with Yoru spread behind him. The two dashed past each other, and all was silent until...

 **CRACK**

The two swords Zoro had were broken in half; Only Wado Ichimonji remains intact. A massive gash formed across his chest, curtesy of the black blade.

" _So I lost then…"_ Zoro thought. Turning around he faced the Shichibukai and spread his arms.

"What are you doing now?"

"A wound on the back is a swordsman's shame!" Zoro declared simply.

"Splendid!" Mihawk nodded with newfound respect for his opponent, and with a single sweep of his sword, cut Roronoa Zoro down. With a spray of blood Zoro landed in the ocean.

"NO!" Gian and Luffy both shouted.

"ZORO!" Usopp was screaming

"ANIKI!"

"This is the power of the Grand Line? Even the Pirate Hunter didn't stand a chance." The pirates and cooks all shouted fearfully.

Sanji was in shock at what just happened; in his head he remembered the words Zoro had said. " _That idiot… why didn't he just give up his ambitions when he realized he's about to die?!"_

"DAMN IT! YOU BASTARD!" Luffy roared and leapt towards the shichibukai, rage on his face. Mihawk simply sidestepped the strike.

"You are his comrade, I presume?"

" **SKRRROAAAARK"**

A fiery mass landed near him, revealing to be a Partially Transformed Gian. _"Even in a Partial Transformation I doubt I can do anything to him; hell, even I fully transform who knows what the outcome would be? But he just… he just…!"_

"Those eyes… you are the young stowaway on Red Hair's ship. It seems you have more secrets then you let on."

" **You killed him…** **YOU KILLED HIM!"**

"He challenged me to something he could not win, this would be the outcome." As he sidestepped a tail smash from the monstrous youth, Mihawk smirked.

"You worry too much, your comrade is alive."

" **Wh** at?" Gian stumbled as his features began to retract back into his body. He shot a glance a Zoro, where Johnny and Yosaku were now desperately trying to pull him out of the water and Usopp was hurrying to get the medicine. His chest was cut deep and bleeding profusely. But through watching closely, Gian could make out some slight breathing.

"Listen! It's too soon for you to die! My name is Dracule Mihawk! Find yourself and get stronger! I will wait for you at the top! Surpass this blade! Surpass me, Roronoa Zoro!" this bold declaration shocked everyone present.

"For 'Hawk Eyes' Mihawk to say something like that…" Zeff muttered.

"You really have too much time on your hands you know? I never understood why you stopped dueling Shanks-san ever since he lost his arm." Gian quipped. He had returned to normal and was relieved that his nakama is still alive but he was still cautious of the man.

"There's nothing exciting about dueling a wounded man, besides you've never experienced the feeling of waiting for him to get over his hangovers." Clearing his throat again he turned to the two youths.

"What are your dreams?"

"I'm going to be the King of Pirates!" Naturally Luffy was still determined.

Gian on the other hand, was a bit hesitant. The idea of a dream had never been something he's brought up before. Even he didn't know. However, he remembered something he promised Triton all those years ago.

"I'm going… to become the world's most powerful Kaiju-Zoan user! I will master my abilities completely and show Triton-Senpai my development! I'll show the sadistic scientist who experimented on me just how "Wonderful" my gift truly is!"

"Both of those dreams will be very difficult. Even more so than surpassing me."

"I don't care!" Luffy stated bluntly.

"I've already brushed death many times, I'm brave enough to live!" Gian growled.

"L-Luffy… can you hear me?" the three of them heard Zoro croak out. Even with such a grievous wound, he was still clinging to life. Johnny, Yosaku and Usopp were all trying to get him to stop moving so much.

"I'm… sorry for losing, I'm sorry for making you worry. If I don't become the Greatest Swordsman now, it would be bad for you, wouldn't it?"

Zoro then raised his arm, clutching Wado Ichimonji in his hand. "I'll never…lose again! Until I beat him… I'll never be defeated by anyone! Is that alright… KING OF PIRATES?!"

"IT IS!" Luffy grinned. Zoro smiled before doubling over in a fit of coughing out blood.

"Your crew certainly is interesting, I hope we again." Mihawk nodded before walking off. Before he got anywhere, Don Krieg, having gotten over his initial shock, confronted him again. Mihawk's simple response was to split the ocean itself in half and sailed off in his coffin boat.

"Yosh! Usopp, you and the others take Zoro and catch up to Nami! Gian and I will catch up soon!" Luffy commanded. Usopp assured him and took everyone to Johnny's boat.

"Ah, right, I almost forgotten, we have to clean up shop." Gian grinned and cracked his knuckles. The two youths nodded at each other and faced the Krieg Pirates. The next part of the Battle for the Baratie had just begun.

 **A/N: I swear to Arceus… this is the longest chapter I made so far…**

 **G: I wouldn't be so sure, I think chapter 3 was longer. You really should split them up more.**

 **Nah, it'll take too long otherwise and besides, we want to hurry don't we?**

 **G: eh, I guess. What am I going to do next time now that I'm stuck at the restaurant?**

 **You have a fight coming up, and the final fight of the Baratie Arc would play out a bit differently, you'll see.**

 **G: cool, be seeing it soon.**

 **So yeah, I kind of decided to pack a few extra things here. I figured since Shanks and Mihawk used to duel each other frequently they probably know where each other usually are, there's a lot of support on this. Gian's relationship with Mihawk is just that, he's knowledgeable in that area but he doesn't know him personally except for that one meeting. This would be the case for a lot of future characters.**

 **With that, Chapter 15 is done. There's a chance that chapter 16 might be delayed due to my classes coming to an end and finals approaching once more. Gotta get them assignments done... But the Baratie Arc should be done in 2 more chapters, I hope. So keep watch for the next chapter!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will attempt to escape ELO hell in LoL!**

 **G: That's even worse than exercising!**


	16. Walls, Demons and Poison

**G: SKREHAHAHAHAHA! Our joke was a success!**

… **No it wasn't… no one read the chapter… I'm telling you April Fool's jokes are overdone as all hell…**

 **G: That's not what one of your followers think. Check your reviews.**

 **Wow… Matt c'mon man… This is unbelievable.**

 **G: you see?**

 **Yeah… but that's one person… nobody else mentioned anything… and also that wasn't the original plan. You originally said that you wanted people to think that we're cancelling this story!**

 **G: Who's fault is it for deleted the chapter too early?**

 **YOU SAID TO DO IT AT THE END OF THE DAY DUMBASS!**

 **G: just start the story…**

 **Remind me after this to kick your ass.**

 **Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece belong to Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities and locations.**

"Don't worry Luffy! Zoro and I will definitely get Nami back! You two just focus on getting our cook! After that all 6 of us can head to the Grand Line!" Usopp promised before heading out to sea with the rest of the gang. They had quite the encounter later on themselves, but that's another story altogether.

"So you two were serious about what you said earlier?" Zeff asked the two remaining members of the Straw Hat Pirates.

"Yes! I will become the Pirate King no matter what!" Luffy declared.

"What I said literally came to me just now but thinking back on it it's something I want to do" Gian replied.

"Heh, well at least you two are confident about it."

After the departure of Dracule Mihawk, it was back to business as usual. Don Krieg managed to compose himself and turned his attention back to the restaurant.

"Let's get that ship!" he declared, and every other pirate also gotten over the shock. They all drew their weapons and advanced towards the ship.

"Shishishi! We got a fight on our hands!" Luffy grinned.

"I was hoping Mihawk would at least kill half of them with that slice of his…" Gian grumbled "Oh well, more for me."

The familiar dorsal fins popped out of his back again as Gian charged another **Atom Ray**. The lance of heat instantly sent many pirates flying into the sea. Those who managed to avoid the blast radius were picked off by Luffy's stretching limbs.

"Both of them have Devil Fruits…" Krieg growled.

"Well shit, he actually knows something." Gian sneered.

"You! You treat these cooks like this even after they've given you food? I'm going to knock you away!" Luffy shouted.

"You say that, yet both of you are in the middle of the sea? HAH! Devil Fruit users like you can't swim once you hit water!"

"You felt the heat from my beam earlier didn't you? Well imagine if that hit you head on!" Gian sneered.

"And besides, I can stretch!" Luffy argued.

"You boys don't need to do all that now. RAISE THE FINS!" Zeff shouted.

To everyone's surprise, the Baratie suddently shifted in the water. Two massive platforms emerged from either side of the sea restaurant, effectively forming a stage where battle can be done.

"Well would you look at that? It makes me want to take this even more now!" Krieg sneered.

"That's pretty creative! This way we have a place to do our thing and make sure the restaurant doesn't get damaged during the crossfire" Gian praised "I don't know about how effective it would be though; I tend to do a ton of collateral damage when I get fired up."

"Do that and you can expect to be working here for the rest of your life!" Zeff snapped.

"That's all I needed to hear." Gian sighed.

"Besides, don't think we did this just for you two. We cooks can fight just as well as you can!" Zeff sniffed. Sanji and every other chef shouted in agreement.

The fish head of the restaurant then detached itself, revealing itself to be a small ship with 3 cannons within.

"Behold! The Sabagashira I! I'm going to blow you to bits, Krieg!" Patty and Carne chortled. They fired all 3 cannons simultaneously, bombarding the waters with explosions and sending many pirates flying. But to their horror, when the smoke cleared Don Krieg was completely unscathed. The pirated growled and then lunged over and lifted the entire vessel with only his hands.

Krieg then threw the entire ship at the restaurant. And that would've been the end of it, if not for the hasty arrival of Sanji kicking the ship away to a safe distance.

"Alright… Where can I get one of those suits…?" Gian muttered after seeing what Kreig had done "by the way good timing Sanji!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN GOOD TIMING?! WE COULD'VE DIED!" the two complained.

"Well you're alive now aren't you? So all's well that ends well."

The rest of the cooks charged at the oncoming pirates. However, they were outmatched completely.

"You call yourselves fighting cooks?! Losing this easily to a group of pirates?!" Patty scolded.

"Don't think we're the same as every other pirate! We're the crew of 'Pirate Admiral' Don Krieg! The strongest in East Blue!" one of the Krieg pirates sneered savagely "Now this ship will belong to us!"

"Dream on! We're not letting you take one step towards this restaurant!" Sanji snapped with determination."

"We'll fight you until the end!" all the other cooks coursed. Patty then was about to lead the charge once more until his was struck by an unknown object. Other cooks were also struck, and fell in pain.

* * *

"That's my **Pearl Present** for ya! It is I, 'Iron Wall' Pearl-san!" a man appeared among the Krieg pirates. The man's body was covered with what appears to be a shield with said gem. His arms and head were also protected by smaller shields, with pearls on them as well. A cocky grin adorned his face as he looked at the fallen chefs.

A group of pirates followed the newcomer and charged at the fallen cooks, intending to finish them off. However, retaliation from Sanji's spinning kick knocked everyone away.

"Such arrogance, you'd only kick them instead of using your fists?" Pearl taunted.

"A cook's hands are his life, he cannot injure them. That's why these legs will finish you off!" Sanji declared.

"Finish me? In my last 61 battles I've won without being harmed! I've never even shed a drop of blood in my life! I'm that strong!" Pearl sneered arrogantly.

"Is he joking? It's not a funny joke…" Luffy muttered.

"Those who know so little of the world thinks so highly of themselves. Pathetic." Gian scoffed.

"Eh?! You don't believe me? Even the marines haven't been able to harm me!"

"But the Grand Line managed to almost take you under. Don't use the marines here as any sort of leverage, since we aren't even near marine HQ right now." Gian pointed out again.

"You talk really big for a novice pirate! I'm not called 'Iron Wall' Pearl for nothing! My armor protects me from everything!"

"Heh, you're confident I'll give you that. I've broken through iron and I've broken through walls. Finally there's a chance to do both. Hey Sanji, keep pummeling those underlings I got this guy."

"Who says you can butt in?" The cook retorted.

"He challenged me, I naturally must accept."

"Hmph, fine. You better win, shitty pirate."

"Thanks! That's all I need to hear!" with that Gian launched himself towards the armored man. Pearl swung one of his arms forward in an attempt to land a hit, but Gian easily ducked under the swing.

"You may have armor, but I have something better! Haven't used these babies for a while." Gian bent down and pressed a button on the left side of his left boot. The protective guard that extends up to his knee began emitting a thin line of steam while vibrating slightly. "Ibuki Goro-san's custom made leg enhancement device, I like to call them Seismic Treads. A single punt from these can knock down a brick wall! If you don't want your bones breaking, I suggest you dodge."

* * *

Dodging for Pearl was easier said than done, for Gian didn't give him a chance to move when he slammed his foot into the round pearl centerpiece of his front armor. The impact was enough to send the man careening a few distances.

"Pearl-san!" the Krieg Pirates cried out.

"No way… with a single kick?!" both the cooks and the pirates were surprised.

"Good job Gian!" Luffy complemented.

"Guess I didn't manage to break it in one blow… should've turned the power up a bit more." Gian noted. Compared to Kuro, this guy was nothing.

"Grr… that kinda- W-WHAT'S THIS?!" Pearl's voice suddenly turned fearful. As it turns out, during the scuffle the man had gotten a nosebleed.

"I'M INJURED! I'M INJURED!" his voice grew higher by the minute. Pirates around him were trying to calm him down with little effect.

"In my defense, I didn't hit him in the face so it could've been natural!" Gian held up his hands.

Suddenly the armor burst into white-blue flames. Balls of fire began shooting off of Pearl in waves. Those struck by the flaming orbs were lit ablaze instantly. Many of the fire pearls landed on the battle fins of the Baratie, setting parts of it on fire as well.

"Hey Pearl! Are you trying to burn the ship we're stealing too?!" Krieg demanded.

"You've really done it now! With my shield of fire, I'm completely indestructible!" Pearl cackled.

"How heatproof is that thing?" Gian muttered "I need to douse it before he burns everything… now how do you stop fire without water?"

Pearl continued to shoot fire pearls from his body, which Gian hopping around to try to avoid them. " _Can't let any of them hit the restaurant…"_

"If I can't put it out naturally, I'll just have to rip if off you then!" with that in mind, both of Gian's fists erupted in blue atomic flames "To beat the heat, you'll just have to be hotter!"

Thanks to enveloping his fists with atomic energy, Gian didn't feel the heat as he repeated smashed his fists into Pearl's iron armor. The armored man attempted to strike back with the plates on his arms but they were blocked.

"Let's see you try to block this! **Fire Pearl Daitokuten!"** Pearl prepared to launch another volley of fire pearls. Gian managed to jump out the way, but now there was a wall of fire between him and the restaurant!

"If you wanted privacy just ask…" Gian sniffed

"Trapped between me and a wall of fire! What can you do now? Even if I go down, the fire will consume the entire restaurant!" Pearl laughed.

"Will it?" a voice asked, and the next thing anyone knew was a gust of wind dousing out the flames. Pearl's jaw dropped to see that Zeff calmly placed his leg down; the simple draft of his kick was enough to put out fire!

"So what was that about being trapped?" Pearl turned back only to notice that Gian's fist smashed into his face.

"I'll have you know, that was a big mistake. I'm rather claustrophobic, and that's does not mean I'm afraid of Santa Claus! **Atom Driver!"** Slamming both of his atomic fists into the man's chest armor, Gian launched the man back. Before Pearl could get up, he was upon him. This time he made sure he turned the power on the Seismic Treads up even more.

"Let me make this clear, I hate working in the restaurant business, but I also don't break commitments. I already said I'll defend the restaurant myself so here I am. Now Mr. Gian, Tear Down this Wall!" with that shout Gian stomped down hard on the man. The instant his boot made contact with the center pearl, it begun to crack, followed by the entire armor shattering to pieces. Pearl's eyes rolled back and his head fell down: he was out instantly.

"He broke Pearl-san's iron armor! How much strength does he have?!" the Krieg Pirates all shouted.

"This is the power of a Devil Fruit… As usual I have to do everything myself…" Krieg growled.

"Oh, right. There's still you. Hey Luffy I thought you'd have him handled by now." Gian commented.

"Don't worry, I'm about to kick his ass!" Luffy declared.

However before anything could be done, a grunt and a thud alerted everyone.

"This time, you can end it right?" Gin hissed coldly with narrowed eyes, a pistol drawn and pointed and Head Chef Zeff's head. The elder cook was bent over painfully.

"Great job Gin! Shoot 'Red Leg' Zeff and the restaurant is ours!" Krieg grinned.

"What do you think you're doing Gin?!" Sanji shouted.

"You do want to save him right? Then all you have to do is get off the ship. I don't want to have to hurt anyone here."

"Gin… Don't do anything you'll regret!" Gian warned.

"Leave this restaurant? Not a chance!" Sanji shouted with determination "Gin… aim that pistol at me."

"Sanji-san…"

"Are you an idiot? You're gonna get yourself killed!" Luffy and Gian warned him.

"Hah! Look at him! So eager to die! Well boys, let's grant him that wish!" a group of Krieg Pirates rush at him. Normally something like this would be easily countered by the chef, but this time, Sanji didn't move at all and bore all of the attacks against him.

"I know you aren't disabled, why you didn't dodge?!" Gian demanded.

"If I moved even a single muscle… then he would've killed the old geezer." Sanji hissed in pain.

"Why are you doing this? All you have to do is leave the restaurant and no one would be hurt!" Gin shouted.

"Because this restaurant is the old man's treasure!" Sanji shouted. "I already took everything else from him! His dream… his power… AND I'M NOT GONNA LET HIM LOSE ANYTHING ELSE." Tears filled the young chef's eyes; everything the two of them went through he remembered vividly. Zeff has almost lost his life to insure that both of them survived that day, and it had changed everything. Sanji would sooner die than see this restaurant be taken.

Seeing this Gian realized he had to do something. Somehow he needed to get that gun away from Gin. His eyes lit up as he figured out a plan. Motioning Luffy to keep quiet, Gian began to form a small ball of blue fire in his palm.

"It seems like we're at a crossroad right now, so the only logical thing to do would be… UNDEROOS!" with that distraction Gian flung the fireball towards the hostage situation. Gin managed to sidestep the thing, but that was all the time Sanji needed to throw off his attackers and kick the pistol out of his hand.

"Good job, you have great reaction time." Gian praised.

"Will you guys hurry up with the ship?!" Krieg roared.

To everyone, save for Gian's, surprise Luffy's leg stretched upwards before crashing down on the battle fin. The wood instantly broke apart.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING YOU SHITTY WAITER BOY?!" Sanji shouted.

"Isn't it obvious? He's trying to sink the ship." Gian noted.

"I CAN SEE THAT! WHY THE HELL WOULD HE DO THAT?!"

"If we get rid of this ship then the enemy can't get what they want." Luffy said.

"What do you know?! Do you have any idea the immensity of debt I have to this place?!" Sanji stated angrily.

"Then why are you trying to die for it? Are you stupid?" Luffy shouted back "Why repay your debts if you're trying to die anyway?! If you die, then would all the sacrifices that the old man made be worth nothing?!"

"Then what do you suggest I should do?!"

"My god… Can't you use your head?!" Sanji turned to see Gian grab him by the collar "He wants you to live! Everyone wants, no NEEDS, you to live! How can anyone think that by dying you'll repay everything you owe? Do you view your life as something that you can throw away?! All you'll accomplish here would be disregarding everything the owner did for you!" Gian was getting a bit over passionate here. He managed to calm himself before he wasted anymore time.

"We managed to disarm him. If you have anything left to settle, then do it now." Sanji nodded and glared at Gin.

"Since it really has come to this… then I will kill you with my own hands." Gin muttered solemnly. With a flick of his sleeves he revealed two tonfas tipped with irons balls, each big as a cannonball. Don Krieg grinned at this.

"So… my Battle Commander has decided to show his true colors it seems."

"Oh… that title doesn't seem like it's made up… Do you want me to sub again?" Gian asked.

"No… I'll beat him myself."

"Heh, that cook really thinks he stands a chance? They don't call him the 'Man Demon' for nothing! He kills his enemies without any remorse!" Krieg laughed "Gin! Kill that cook, I'll take care of these two hammers."

"As you command, Don. I'm sorry Sanji-san, but you can't win here." Gin then launched himself at the cook and swung one of his weapons down hard, breaking the floor where Sanji once stood. The cook barely avoided the blow and lashed out with a kick, only for that to be dodged as well. Sanji then tried another kick, but Gin anticipated and sidestepped out of the way before bringing a tonfa down hard on the man's back. Sanji hit the ground hard. When Gin raised the weapon to deliver a final blow, Sanji used the time to throw a third kick, which sent the man doubling over and tumbling a few feet away. The two men then stood up shakily, glaring daggers at each other.

Meanwhile Luffy decided to use this opportunity to fight Krieg. The larger pirate simply threw a bomb into the sea, sending a pillar of water that obscured himself from Luffy. Guns then popped out of his armor and fired a few rounds at the boy, the force was actually enough to carry him back a bit.

"Luffy, do you need me to sub in?" Gian called out.

"He's not even trying to fight me!"

"Hah! Fight you? I'm only using methods to kill people!" Krieg sneered.

A loud crack then alerted everyone: Sanji fell heavily onto the platform, a trail of blood flowing from his mouth. The previous injuries he sustained under the pirate assault managed to weaken him slightly, just enough to put up a fight but not enough to win. Because of this Gin managed to come on top. The 'Man Demon' then raised his tonfa to prepare to strike him down. However, there was clear hesitation in his eyes.

To everyone's surprise, the man started weeping.

"D-Don Krieg! I can't do it! I can't kill this man!"

"Gin! What is the meaning of this?!" Krieg scowled.

"This man… This man is the first person to ever show me kindness! I never plan to betray you, I don't believe what we've done is wrong, and I respect your strength, but I just can't land this blow!"

"Don Krieg… I beg you! Please let's just leave this restaurant! We can find another ship, just leave these people alone!"

Unfortunately, Krieg would not have any of it.

"Bastard! How dare you disobey me! And you're telling me what _I_ should do?! I'm disappointed in you Gin, I always told you I hate personal feelings getting in the way." Saying that, Krieg ripped of one of his shoulder plates, the circular object having a skull and crossbones design. Seeing this, the rest of his crew grew nervous.

"T-that can be-"

"The poison gas, MH5!"

"Don Krieg going to be using that here?!"

"Everybody get the masks! Or else we'll die too!"

"Quit whining all of you! As long as I win nothing else matter!" Krieg snapped at his terrified crew as he put on his own gas mask. "I don't care what happens if I use the gas, as long as I win that's all that's important! That is true strength!"

"Strength?! You call unchecked collateral damage that could potentially kill your own people strength?! Do you have no thought for the people under your flag?!" Gian shouted.

"None! Victory is all that matters in this world. If anyone from my crew gets caught in the gas that simply means they were weak!"

Gin was clutching a gas mask as well, Don Krieg's earlier words still stinging him.

"Don't you put that gas mask on! For your treachery you die with them!" Krieg snarled. Gin froze when he heard that voice, and he shakily lowered the mask.

"HOW DARE YOU?! That man put his own conscience on hold just to help you attack this restaurant and you throw him away like a rag when he has the slightest shred of compassion?!" Gian roared.

"I'm going to kick his ass…" Luffy growled.

"No… stop! You can't beat him, it's impossible for you to win! Don Krieg is the strongest man alive!" Gin gritted out.

"Gin, that's where you're wrong. The strongest man alive today belongs to a man greater in every aspect. Luffy would never lose to a person like Krieg." Gian scoffed.

"Why are you still defending him?! He just sent you to your death!" Sanji yelled.

"It's what I deserve for speaking my feelings. It's unfitting of a person of my position." Gin shouted as he threw his mask away.

"You're a real sheep you know that? Your life doesn't just revolve around him! Don't throw your life for a scumbag like that!" Gian shouted.

"It's no use talking to him! He's going to die here with all of you! **Modoku Gas Dan: MH5!"**

The steel plate fired a black cannonball that, when it finally struck the platform, covered the entire area with a toxic gas. Thanks to the masks, the Krieg pirates were able to at the very least avoid the toxic mixture. As for the cooks, they either had to take refuge in the restaurant or dive into the sea.

Sanji managed to pick up the mask that Gin dropped and Luffy managed to pick up his own. Gin closed his eyes, silently waiting for death to take him.

Then his face was roughly covered by a pair of hands. He tried to wrench himself free but the hands held tightly. He cocked an eye back and was surprised to see Gian exerting himself to maintain his clamp.

* * *

"What are you doing?! Let me go!" the man let out a muffled protest, but this only made Gian clench his hands harder.

"IDIOT! You'd waste your life for something like this?! This is what I get for-"

"Shut… up…" Gian's breath was getting becoming labored; he had tried to hold his breath the best he can but it wasn't enough "I told you… dying for a man… like that… isn't worth it…"

"Take my words… with a grain of salt all… you want… I don't care… if you think your entire life… is useful only for the servitude of him… but I've cheated death way too many times… to see anyone else recklessly throw theirs away… for someone who isn't worth it…"

* * *

The gas was beginning to lift. And the people closest to them could just make out what's going on. Sanji, who was nearest to the pair, heard just about everything. To say that he was shocked was an understatement.

Gin's eyes betrayed his own surprise at the passion in his voice. Whatever this man had been through, it made him value life as much as possible.

"So yeah… there's no way in hell… that I'll take my hands away…" by now the gas has completely lifted. Luffy finally saw through and his eyes widened in horror at the scene of his crewmate, having been fully exposed to the poison gas, using every bit of his strength to ensure that the shamed pirate lives.

"Heh, pathetic. You'd disregard yourself just to save a traitor like him? It's no skin off my back considering I have one less pest to deal with now." Krieg sneered.

"And that… is the attitude that makes you inferior to someone like Luffy…" Gian let out a weak grin.

"What did you say?!"

"A person… like you… is so short-sighted… that he fails to see… what's really important…. All you see… is that you might win… one battle… But experience shows… you fail at advancing… beyond what you're capable of…"

"Alright… I'm done with the sappy shit… Luffy… knock' em out… for me…" it was all that he could let out, as Gian fell to the ground moments after, the effects of poison taking its toll...

 **A/N: and cliffhanger!**

 **G: how is that a cliffhanger?! Everyone knows i'm gonna live!**

 **You still fail at coming up jokes**

 **G: You suck**

 **16 chapters in and we officially have 100 follows on this! Thank you all! Hopefully this can make up for that terrible joke a few weeks ago.**

 **The next chapter will mark the end of the Baratie Arc, and we can finally move on to Arlong Park! Just a heads up, Arlong Park or at least part of it will be significantly different than what happens in canon. As for what happens, I'll leave that as a surprise.**

 **I have finals right now so the next chapter might not be up for a bit. I will try to get it up before the 25** **th** **of April however, as after that I'm going back to China to attend my Grandma's funeral. And I don't know how much time I have for writing there. With that, I'll see you next time!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will breakdance!**

 **G: meh, could be worse.**


	17. The cook of the Strawhats

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece belong to Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, original powers and original locations.**

" **I'M GOING TO BEAT THE HELL OUT OF YOU, YOU BASTARD!"** Luffy roared at Krieg, wanting nothing more than to avenge his fallen crewmate. The remaining Krieg Pirates were stupefied at what just happened.

"To think… Don Krieg would actually go that far to-"

"Even after the battle commander used himself as a decoy when we escaped the Grand Line…"

"Gin… now do you see why you're giving your life for the wrong person?" Sanji asked.

"…" Gin was still speechless after what had just transpired. The youth that had just been desperately trying to save him was now lying face down on the deck, not moving.

"Pah! You people are pathetic for trying to convince him! He failed me, and therefore he dies!" Krieg scoffed. "Your crewmate thinks he could change something, but he paid with his own life and for what? You'll all still die here!"

"I won't die! I'll never lose to someone like you!" Luffy glared hard and got into a fighting stance. He placed his straw hat aside so that it doesn't get damaged in what he was about to do. With the hat safe, he dashed towards the larger pirate.

"If you wish to die that much, then this place will become your grave!" Don Krieg flicked his arm forward and launched multiple small bombs at Luffy. The explosives peppered the water around him with explosions, the wake obscuring his vision. Luffy however, was relatively unharmed and continued his charge.

Krieg grinned and unveiled a new weapon. This one was a massive Gatling gun that he concealed within his cape. As Luffy was soon about to find out, this weapon did not fire conventional bullets. Under the exploding water, Luffy had no idea what's coming.

"EAT THIS!" Krieg roared as 2-inch spikes exploeded out of the gun-barrel, threatening to impale the young pirate. Luffy was caught off-guard as the sharp objects buried themselves into many parts of his body; his **Gomu-Gomu no mi's** rubber body rendered completely ineffective when protecting against pointed spikes.

However Luffy refused to give up. Ripping the spikes out, he cocked back his fist and threw a punch Krieg tried to cover himself with a cape tipped with spines but the blunt force was able to knock him back.

"Don't go deciding… where I die!" streams of blood were seeping out of the holes inflicted on the boy, but despite the pain, he was determined to end this fight. Krieg slowly staggered up and glared daggers at the boy.

"He- HE JUST PUNCHED THROUGH DON KRIEG'S **KEZAN MANTLE**!?"

The pirates and chefs were all surprised at this show of strength. To them, Don Krieg was invincible. To see him get hit at all was unheard of! Yet this kid had just landed a punch and not only that, managed to knock him down! The battle could go anywhere at this point! Don Krieg slowly got up, blood streaming down one side of his face; he was beyond pissed off now.

"You piss me off boy! I'll finish you off now!" the pirate roared as he ripped off both shoulder plates, connecting the two into a single polearm. A sharp blade, tapered to a point extended from the tip. This was the **Daisenso,** Krieg's signature weapon and a sign that he's no longer messing around.

"Nowhere to run now, anchor boy! Just try to take a hit from this!" with that being said, Krieg swung the weapon at full force. Luffy hastily avoided it, and it was fortunate that he did. For the moment the battle spear struck where he was previously standing, an explosion erupted, showering the area with wood. Luffy yelped as Krieg swung the spear towards him again, once again narrowly dodging the spear and avoiding an explosion. "

"Damn… need to finish this quick…" Luffy panted; the previous attack from the needle gun made him lose quite a lot of blood, and he was getting tired.

"What kind of weapon is that…?" One of the cooks whispered fearfully.

"The Daisenso… it truly is the most amazing weapon I've ever seen!" A Krieg pirate exclaimed "something like that is fit for only someone like Don! It's the reason why he's the greatest!"

Luffy was hopping around like a madman trying to avoid all the explosions, but he could only do for so long. One stray blow from Krieg managed to send the boy flying, his clothe singed by the explosion. Krieg immediately followed up with another swing, which Luffy tried to bat away, only to find that even _touching_ the weapon would result in something blowing up.

Luffy was running out of energy to fight as he slowly sat up, but the fire in his eyes were unmistakable: he was going to win this no matter what.

"That kid… why does he keep getting back up? Krieg has so many weapons… there's no way he can win!" Sanji wondered.

"It may seem that way, but that kid… has one "spear" that surpasses all of Krieg's arsenal." Zeff replied.

"What do you mean by that, old man?"

Zeff turned back to the fight, where Luffy was still dodging Krieg's attacks. Each time he does get hit, he would get up despite all of his wounds, willing to continue fighting.

"That boy… has conviction. And in a fight between 2 pirates, the one who hesitates first, will fall." Zeff explained. "And the kid has no hesitation at all. Is it because he's fighting to survive, or just that he simply refuses to die?"

"It's… the latter…" Sanji whirled around to hear a voice that he thought wouldn't be possible.

* * *

"You shouldn't move around so much, poison took a toll on ya." Zeff on the other hand wasn't surprised at all.

"Lying on the floor… gets boring… at times…" Gian grinned weakly "But… Luffy isn't… going to die to a scumbag like him… not until he fulfills his dream." His eyes were glowing amber and had a determined look to them. He placed all his trust into his captain.

"How are you even-?" Sanji tried to say something but Gian stopped him, motioning that he'll explain it later.

"You sure understand your captain well. I'll tell you this much: a person like that can be both the best person you can have as an ally and at the same time he could be the worst to have as an enemy." Zeff smirked.

"Took the words… right out of my mouth." Gian grinned back.

* * *

The battlefield was getting blown to pieces at this point and there were only isolated wreckages left to stand on. Luffy had endured multiple explosive strikes at this point, but he could still fight on.

"WHY WON'T YOU JUST DIE?!" Krieg snarled.

"If Krieg's weapons and fleet are the signs of his strength… then that boy's 'spear', is equal to that!" Zeff stated.

"Like I said… THIS WILL BE YOUR GRAVE!" Krieg swung the Daisenso once more, however unlike before, Luffy brought his foot down on the spear tip. The explosion happened again but this time, Luffy was grinning.

With a sudden crack, the spear tip was broken off, leaving it with only the large bomb.

"W-WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BATTLE SPEAR?!" Krieg shouted in horror.

"I punched the tip 5 times in row! Now its power is halved! All you got is a bomb on a stick now!" Luffy declared.

"Is that so? Well then it's all I need to blow you to bits! After taking so much damage, your strength is almost at its limit, look at yourself you're barely able to stand!" Krieg scoffed.

"I've got more than enough energy to beat you!" Luffy stated confidently.

Don Krieg growled and once again attacked with the now broken spear, and indeed, the explosion happened. This time, Luffy was able to jump over to avoid any harm and grabbed onto the mast of a ship. He tried to throw it at Krieg, but the Pirate Admiral revealed a wrist mounted flamethrower and burned the incoming mast to cinders.

" **Gomu-Gomu no… Gatling!"** Luffy began punching so fast that it looked as if he had multiple arms. The barrage of fists repeatedly slammed into the golden armor that Krieg claims to be impenetrable. So many were the strikes on Krieg's armor that loud banging sounds like the sound of bullets against steel could be heard.

"Hahaha! Don't you know that this armor is indestructible? Your punches are useless against me!" Krieg sneered.

"I'll be the judge of that! **Gomu-Gomu no… Bazooka!"**

Luffy's attack smashed into the Wootz steel armor at full speed. This time however, the blow was so powerful that it actually sent Krieg skidding backwards on the deck. What's even more surprising that the impact left a crack onto the supposedly indestructible metal. Krieg's face turned to one of shock and anger when he realized what has happened.

"YOU INSOLENT BRAT!" Krieg roared and slammed the bomb staff down, causing another explosion that sent Luffy flying. "You actually cracked my indestructible armor?! I'm finishing you off right away!"

Krieg followed up the attack with another swing, engulfing the area in an explosion. The cooks were all fearful of what's going on.

" _C'mon Luffy… you tanked a crap ton of those already… you aren't dying yet…"_ Gian thought.

Indeed Luffy emerged unharmed saved for singed clothing. His grin showed that he was still capable of continuing.

" **Gomu-Gomu no… Bazooka!"** a second attack, just as powerful, sent Krieg flying into the air. Luffy wasted no time in firing off a third attack, then a fourth. Even the so called indestructible armor could not withstand such devastating power, and with a **CRACK** , the entire thing fell apart. Krieg was sent careening into the distance; the force was so powerful that every breath seemed to be knocked out of him. However, it wasn't over just yet…

"You… how dare you do this to me…?! **YOU'RE DEAD, KID!"** the Krieg pirates, previously fearing that their supposedly invincible captain would lose, now had another glimmer of hope, For Krieg smashed his spear into the ground, the explosion this time actually carrying Luffy into the air as well as completely destroying the platform they were standing on. As Luffy scrambled to right himself, Krieg's gauntlet snapped open and an iron net shot out, entangling the young pirate.

"HAHAHAHA! You lose for sure now! If I don't kill you, then you can drown in the sea!"

"Do you see now?! Why I'm the strongest?! I always get the last laugh!" Krieg cackled, confident that he won at last.

" _This is bad… I have to do something quick…"_ Luffy thought desperately. It was then that he noticed one key thing…

"Not yet! My arms and legs are still free!" indeed, Luffy was able to stretch his limbs out, twisting him arms, and entangle them around Krieg.

"Wha-?" Krieg barely had time to realize what was happening when Luffy shouted out his final attack.

" **Gomu-Gomu no… Tsuchi!"**

Don Krieg was sent spinning hard into the deck of the Baratie. The force was so mast that a spiderweb crack appeared under him. His eyes rolled backwards and he coughed out a sheet of blood; he was out at last.

"No-No way! D-Don Krieg… WAS DEFEATED?!" all the Krieg pirates, as well as the chefs shouted in shock.

"Don…" Gin whispered; the impossible had just happened, he is completely speechless.

"Atta boy Luffy! That's how waiters held against their will do things around here!" Gian grinned. His smile fell as he noticed a huge problem:

Unfortunately, Luffy kept falling, the net still around him. He was unable to do anything as he fell into the sea…

"SHIT! SOMEBODY SWIM AFTER THAT NET!" Gian screamed as he tried to get up, the poison by now was pretty much out of his system. However, as a Devil Fruit user himself, he was useless in this situation…

"What? Why do we need to do that?" Sanji asked, confused.

"He has a Devil Fruit! The moment people like us get submerged into water we lose all our energy and sink like a rock! I'd go after him myself but I can't swim either!" Gian shouted back

" _For the first time in my life… I actually hate having this fruit…"_ he thought bitterly.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?! Why didn't you say anything earlier?!" without another word Sanji kicked off his shoes and dove into the water, determined to save the boy.

Luffy was under the water, completely unconscious at this point and still entangled in the net. Sanji managed to reach him and immediately attempted to free him.

" _Didn't you say you weren't going to die?! Then don't die on me right here!"_

He immediately thought of how the boy spoke of his dreams, how determine he was, and how the same determination was present in his crewmates. Memories of his past flooded into his mind, making him work double time to get the net off. Eventually he succeeded and dragged him onto the deck. But Luffy still did not wake up.

"Dammit… DAMMIT! DON'T DIE ON ME HERE! NOT AFTER ALL YOU SAID!" Sanji shouted.

But as it turned out the two had nothing to worry about: Luffy's snores were heard as he turned over in his much needed slumber.

"I should pound you for almost making me have a heart attack!" Gian gave an exaggerated shout.

"Tch… Shitty bastard…" Sanji scowled, but quickly smiled with relief.

"Well, not that that's over lets go-" Gian began but was interrupted by yet again…

"I'm… the strongest…" Don Krieg droned as he staggered up, his eyes were devoid of emotion. This is a man who had lost his heart….

"I'M THE STRONGEST! I ALWAYS WIN!" Krieg gave a crazed scream, throwing off the few pirates trying to calm him down. He was about to continue on his tirade when someone appeared in front of him: someone who he thought was supposed to be dead…

"If you truly are the strongest… then you would know when to give up." Gian stated with deadly calmness. All the Krieg pirates let out a scream as they saw that the person that was poisoned was now standing again. Krieg's eyes bugged out completely.

"I-impossible… Y-you're-"

"Still alive? Well of course. I don't die that easily. But if it matters that much to you, just pretend I'm a zombie. Now… about losing…" Gian slammed his knee into Krieg's abdomen. This time, the man was truly out cold.

"You should know when to stop. The true Strongest Man in the World knows his limits, perhaps you should do the same."

"… How are you not dead…?" Gin croaked as he approached them.

"That perfume your captain used is potent, I'll give him that. Unfortunately, I've been subjected to something that is 10 times more deadly that it is until the age of 15... at least that's what I can remember. I've developed a resistance to poison in general. Not to mention my cells heal themselves faster than things can hurt me." Gian explained, before wincing slightly. He's able to heal from the poison damage, but it was still a strain for his body.

"… I see…" Gin was completely flabbergasted at the explaination, but after seeing what had happened today he decided not to question it. Regaining his composure, he picked up the fallen captain.

"I'll take him from here. We're going to start over."

"You're still following him?! Even after I got pumped full of gas?!" Gian groaned "I didn't get my ass poisoned only to have you not consider a damn thing I told you…"

"Don Krieg will always be my captain, nothing will change that. He's taught me too many things for me to leave him now." Gin asserted before turning to the rest of them.

"I apologize for what happened here Sanji-san, thank you for everything."

"It's over now, so don't think about it too much. Come back again will ya?" The cook nodded.

"I'll keep that in mind. In the meantime, would the two of you pass a message to him?" Gin pointed to the still sleeping Luffy. "Tell him that we'll meet on the Grand Line."

"Wait, that means-"

"Yes, I don't know when I made Don Krieg's ambitions my own, but after all that's happened here I'm deciding to do what I want to do, and live my life the way I see it. I know it's weird for me to defend myself. But I've been using his name as a shield for too long. When you're mind's made up, you pay less attention to things like fear and the strength of an enemy. That's what he taught me." Gin explained.

"Wow… never knew how serious you are about this… well I don't agree with how you're doing things here but I'll respect your decision. Except aren't you worried that when he wakes up he'd… y'know…"

"Heh… I'll handle that part when it happens."

"In that case, Patty! Carne! Get him a boat with some supplies!" Sanji ordered.

"What?! Why should we do that?!" The two chefs asked angrily.

"Do as you're told… or suffer my curse…" Gian took on a stiff pose and walked towards them as if he was actually a resurrected undead. The two chefs blinked for a second before they realized that it was the lad that was poisoned to "death" earlier.

"AAHHHHHHH! ZOMBIE!" the two screamed and ran off. Gian immediately fell down laughing.

"You have seriously way too much time on your hands right now…" Sanji deadpanned.

"Eh, Luffy would've loved it." Gian waved him off.

* * *

 _Later:_

"WROAAAARRRRR! I THOUGHT YOU DIEDDDDD" Luffy bawled after he woke up and, after securing his straw hat, immediately wrapped his nakama in a vice like grip.

"I'm about to die from suffocation if you don't let go of me!" Gian struggled to get him off.

"You two sure are lively... if we didn't know better no one would've guessed that the two of you had just been through a battle." Sanji smiled lightly while observing the two of them.

"Healing powers, remember?"

"It's still hard to take in."

Gin had bid them farewell a while back, leaving on the boat provided. After that Gian and Luffy had been sent to rest up, but not before Gian had to explain to an entire line of cooks why he was still breathing.

"Well now that we're all together, are you-" Luffy began but Sanji interrupted him.

"No, I'm not becoming a pirate. I'm going to stay as a cook, until the old fart acknowledges my cooking skills."

"And here I thought what we had was special…" Gian sighed.

"Then I'll give up asking you then." Luffy nodded, except for the fact that his hand was still tight around Sanji's shirt. The cook sighed while puffing on a cigarette.

"I will go to the Grand Line somewhere however, there's some place I have to find."

"Then why don't you come with us?"

"Like I said, can't." His eyes were closed "The old man… I owe him too much"

 **Flashback:**

" _I can't die here… I have to find the All Blue…!"_

 _That was the thought running within a young Sanji's head as the cruise ship he was on was attack by the 'Cook Pirates'. He had tried to catch the captain by surprise, intending to escape. However, 'Red Leg' Zeff wasn't just any average pirate, and he quickly knocked him down with a vicious kick._

" _I HAVE TO FIND ALL BLUE SOMEDAY!"_

" _What is this kid talking about? Teach him a lesson captain!" one of the pirates sneered. Zeff however, was silent. Unbeknownst to everyone, to find the All Blue is his dream as well…_

" _Captain, we need to leave soon! There's a storm coming!"_

" _Right, take all the treasure on this ship, and just the treasure."_

 _However the storm was upon them much faster than they realized, and soon one humongous one smashed into the hull of the ship, knocking Sanji into the water._

" _Shit!" Zeff's eyes widened before he jumped into the sea after him. The last thing Sanji saw before he blacked out was Zeff swimming towards him._

 _The next thing he knew… he was stuck on a deserted rock, with none other than the pirate that attacked the ship._

" _I must say… you're rather impressive for a small-fry." Zeff saw him._

" _Wh-what happened to the ship?!" Sanji yelled._

" _Beats me, but with a storm like that, it most likely is at the bottom of the ocean by now. To be honest, it would've been better for us to die in that storm. Right now the island we're on has no vegetation, no animals, which means no food. It's a slow, painful wait for us." Zeff muttered before tossing him a sack._

" _If you use that efficiently, it should last you more than 5 days… hopefully someone finds us by then. That's all you'll get from me." Zeff muttered coldly._

" _Why do you get the larger bag?!" Sanji snapped._

" _Because I'm an adult and I eat more. Be glad I saved you any at all." Sanji glowered before taking his rations to the other end of the rock._

" _I'll survive… I must…" Sanji thought._

 _Unfortunately for the duo, help was nowhere to be found. And after 70-something days later, Sanji was no more than a walking pile of skin and bones. He was getting desperate. It was then he spotted Zeff sitting on the ground._

" _That old fart… he's still alive and still has so many rations! If I can just get my hands on it… I can survive! He may have knocked my around on the ship… but he's much weaker now!" With that thought, he crept over with a knife._

" _I'VE COME TO TAKE YOUR FOOD!" Sanji yelled as he snatched the bag from the man. Zeff did nothing while Sanji eagerly tore open the bag… and a pile of treasure spilled out._

" _W-what?!"_

" _Ironic isn't it? Having so much wealth, but no food to eat." Zeff mumbled._

" _WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE FOOD?!" Sanji screamed, that is until his eyes dropped and widened at the sight of Zeff's right leg- or at least its stump._

" _Y-You ate your own leg…?! Then that means… the food you gave me… that was all of it… wasn't it?!"_

" _You're a smart kid, lil' eggplant."_

" _B-But… WHY?! Why did you do this?! Why are you treating me like that and risking your career as a pirate?!"_

" _Because you have the same dream as I do." Zeff stated._

" _All Blue?"_

" _Yes. When you get older, travel to the Grand Line! Without my leg I can't be a pirate anymore… so you go instead." Zeff let out a ragged breath "You know, I've been starving so many times while out at sea that I sometimes wish that there was a restaurant just floating on the waves when I need it!"_

" _That's why… if I somehow make it off this rock, I'll put my entire fortune into a sea-faring restaurant!" Zeff wanted to say more, but his body gave way and he slumped over._

" _OLD MAN! DON'T YOU DIE ON ME RIGHT NOW!"_

 _Eventually a ship did manage to find them, the two were hanging onto life by just a thread. Zeff started his restaurant as he promised, with Sanji helping him every step of the way. Eventually the Baratie became known throughout the seas._

 **Flashback End**

Sanji's eyes were closed for a few more seconds before his face broke out into a dreamy smile.

"By the way, have either of you heard of the All Blue?"

"No, but I've heard of All Left." Gian joked.

"… anyways, it's the mystical sea where all of East, West, North and South Blues meet! Fish from all 4 seas can be found there! It's paradise for chefs like us! And it's supposedly in the Grand Line!" it was the happiest Luffy and Gian had ever seen him.

So enthralled in the story that the trio did not know Zeff was looking through the window at them. The old chef smirked before heading off to make the most important decision he's ever made in his life.

* * *

 _Later:_

All the cooks, as well as Luffy and Gian were in the restaurant about to eat lunch.

"I gotta say… even though I hate working as a waiter, I'm gonna miss this place." Gian commented.

"Is that so? Then how about you stay here as a waiter forever." Zeff scoffed.

"NO PLEASE! ANYTHING BUT THAT!" Gian gave an over-the-top shout, earning a laugh from everyone.

The cooks then took a sip of the soup served. However the minute their lips touched the liquid, they froze.

"This soup… who prepared this?" Patty frowned.

"I did! It's pretty good isn't it?" Sanji waved.

"I CAN HARDLY STAND THIS PISS!" the larger chef snarled. "Did you mistake animal feed for food or something?!"

"Hey! What's the matter with you?! Is something wrong with your tongue?!" Sanji snapped.

"No, but this soup is awful!" Carne also snapped. He was immediately joined by the rest of the cooks.

"How do you expect us to drink this crap?"

"I'm about vomit!"

"I say we throw it all out! Or force-feed it to him!" with each passing comment Sanji got angrier.

"Stop everyone, we are cooks of the sea" Zeff stated "We do not waste food, not even a single drop of soup." He then drank the whole thing, and then immediately smashed to bowl.

"What do you think you're doing boy?! Are you trying to shut the restaurant down?!" The old chef growled.

"Stop joking, ya old fart! How is my soup any different from yours?!" Sanji yelled back.

Instead of kicking him, Sanji received a punch instead…

"Different than mine? You're still a hundred years too young to be comparing yourself to me brat!" Zeff scoffed. Sanji could take no more and stormed out the restaurant.

The cooks were silent for a while, until they heard clapping.

"I never knew cooks can act as well as make food!" Gian chirped. The cooks all chuckled as they saw that their jig was up.

"This soup is great! I don't know why you say it's bad." Luffy blurbed while still drinking it by the bowlful. Apparently someone didn't get it…

"Of course it's great. Sanji's skill in cooking is nigh unparalleled." Zeff affirmed.

"I almost thought he wouldn't buy it…" Carne let out a sigh.

"Yeah because you're acting is terrible!" Patty chortled.

"Well, it had to be done. If we didn't do this there's no way he'd leave the restaurant." Zeff pointed out.

"So, let me get this straight. You're basically using this as an excuse to kick him out just so that we can take him with us?" Gian asked.

"That's right. If he continued to stay here he'd never accomplish his dream. So how about it kid?" Zeff asked Luffy.

"No."

"WHAT?!"

"You said you wanted a cook on your ship… did you change your mind?" Zeff asked, a bit stupefied.

"I can't take him if he doesn't want to go. He wants to stay here." Luffy said.

"I'm afraid I don't follow. Are you saying the only way you'll take him is if he says yes?"

"That's _exactly_ what he means." Gian stated. "Doing something you don't want to is a pain, but being forced to do something you don't want to do is a whole other level of awful. While I appreciate what you guys are trying to help him with, you're overlooking what he views at important. At least stop to consider how he feels before making a decision like this."

"Believe me, he wants to go. It's been his dream as a kid, it's been both our dreams, and he staying here would only hold him back. I guess instead of forcing him to leave I should approach this differently, but promise me that you will still take him with you when he says yes." Zeff nodded.

"Yeah sure… but first more soup!" Luffy complied.

Unknown to them, Sanji heard everything through the window. He let out a sigh and crouched down, deep in thought.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, something barreled out of the sea. It was Yosaku within the mouth of a shark.

"Luffy-aniki, Gian-aniki… we found Nami… or where she's headed…" The poor swordsman groaned.

"Did… did they made you swim here?!" Gian deadpanned.

"Yeah our boat doesn't have any lifeboats… good thing it wasn't too far…"

"Well then let's go get her!" Luffy declared.

"Wait… I'm coming with you guys." The trio turned to see Sanji, letting out some smoke, walking towards them.

"It's not April Fool's Day is it? Tell me this is a joke." Gian quipped. It probably wasn't but hey, somethings are too good to be true. Luffy was also surprised, but was hoping he'd say yes.

"No, I'm coming. All of our dreams are rather foolish, but then what would be the point of dreaming them then? In order to find the All Blue, I'm coming with you. Besides" Sanji grinned lightly at this "It would be interesting to be the cook of the future Pirate King."

"YAAHOOOO! We have our cook! We can have food whenever we want now!" Luffy cheered.

"Of course, he's the most excited about this." Gian laughed "Do you want to say something to the rest of them?"

"Well… I did give them a lot of trouble… but after that terrible performance they did I'm at a loss for words." Sanji said.

"Wait what? You saw through that?" Patty shouted.

"Obviously, you guys couldn't be more transparent if you tried."

"Why you-"

"Why don't you just get out of here?" Zeff growled. "Save up the trouble of seeing you off."

"Heh, sure ya old geezer. You take care of yourself."

With that said, the little makeshift crew headed over to a boat Sanji uses at time. With this they planned to sail after Nami.

"Put more meat in there." Luffy told one of the cooks while they were filling up a bag with provisions.

"Luffy, we can't just have meat… we need a balanced diet or we'll get scurvy. Put some of those potatoes and carrots in as well. That cheese looks pretty good too, the apples look appealing also." Gian reminded him.

"You two are going to run us dry!" the cooks wept.

Sanji then joined them and they prepared to set off.

"You absolutely sure you don't need to say any goodbyes?" Luffy asked once more.

"Don't worry about it." The blond cook nodded. However, as they pushed away from the Baratie, all the memories that he had at this restaurant, all the history with Zeff, his mentor, comes flooding full force.

With a crash, Sanji's head slammed hard into the deck of the ship as he bowed deeply. Tears cascaded off his face as he poured his gratitude out.

"OWNER ZEFF! THANK YOU, FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE FOR ME. EVERYTHING I OWE YOU, EVERYTHING YOU TAUGHT ME I'LL ALWAYS REMEMBER IT!"

At this heart-warming scene, all the cooks could no longer hold back their own tears. Even though they were sometimes at odds with each other, Sanji was still one of their own and a part of their family no less.

"YOU BASTARD! I'M GONNA MISS YOU SO MUCH!" Patty and Carne cried the loudest out of all of them.

Even the stone-faced Zeff couldn't help but shed a tear at the departure of the boy who was like a son to him.

"Take care of yourself, eggplant." The elder chef mumbled softly.

"I'M NOT CRYING! IT'S BECAUSE OF THOSE ONIONS! I SWEAR!" Gian yelled with waterfalls running down his eyes as he pointed to the food bag while clinging to Yosaku, who was also bawling his eyes out.

Luffy just grinned, glad to witness all this.

With that the cooks wished the well on their way, and the small crew went off.

" _Now that that's finally done away with, it's time to get back to what we need to do"_ Gian's grin turned serious " _Nami, whatever you're caught up in, we're not leaving you behind whether you like it or not._

* * *

 _Meanwhile:_

Nami's heart was in turmoil right now as she sailed the Going Merry towards her destination. A part of her keeps telling herself that this is what she does, and that it's just like any other heist.

" _Then why do I feel like this…?"_

Travelling with the Strawhats have been an experience she had never experience before, not since she was a little girl, except from her own family. The group was unlike any kind of pirates she's met before, and a part of her had almost wanted to stay with them, to leave all the bad memories behind.

Nami swallowed and her eyes hardened; there was a reason she had to do this. This is more important to her than anything. " _I just hope they won't hate me too much if I ever see those people again."_

* * *

With that in mind, Nami steered the Going Merry towards and ominous looking building.

Not far from where she was, deep under the ocean waves, a massive form stirred. It looked towards the surface and recognized the familiar ripples of a boat coming towards the island. The mysterious creature sounded a hiss as bubbles rose to the surface. It was time to hunt again…

 **A/N:** **读者们大家好！你们都怎么样啊？让大家久等，实在很抱歉。这是因** **-**

 **G:** **Dude speak English…**

 **Why? I'm in the country of my birth here I should use the native tongue.**

 **G that's dandy and all but none of your readers would know what it means…**

 **I'm sure we got multilingual readers in there somewhere.**

 **G: yeah but most of them?**

 **Eh, good point.**

 **So yeah… this chapter was supposed to be up wayyyy earlier, but surprisingly this trip to China had actually been quite busy and eventful. I actually have less time than I thought for writing, so that's kind of a downer.**

 **But on the bright side, we have over ¾ of 100 people favorite this story! And now that the Baratie arc is done, it's time for the one everyone knows about. As you can see from the last paragraph, Arlong Park will be slightly different from Canon as I'm planning to add a few things here and there.**

 **With that said, I will start working on the next chapter so that we can get it up and running by the time I return to Canada. See you all next time!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will try to bench 8 children!**

 **G: HAH! Child's play! Literally!**


	18. The subjugated island

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are owned by Toho Co. Ltd and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, locations and abilities.**

 **Now that we're getting closer to the Grand Line, this story, or at least most of it, can get further away from canon now that I got more things to work with. All events would still be chronological, but after giving it some thought I realized I haven't explored the additional Godzilla elements of this story as much as I should have. So, starting from the next arc, we'll be seeing more Godzilla elements.**

 **As for this one… FUCKIN' RIGHT IT'S TIME FOR ARLONG PARK. To people who are wondering about the ending of last chapter… I'll give you a hint. It's a Godzilla monster! Those who are familiar with the film series should have a fairly good idea of who it is, but for those who haven't you'll find out soon enough. With that out the way, let's begin!**

As the gate to the imposing building opened up, Nami felt a familiar sickness in the pit of her stomach. She's made this trip many, many time and each time it feels the same as it always have been. This place is the source of all her misery, and she is trapped by it. Shaking the thought away she put on a confident smile and entered.

Arlong Park was a massive pagoda shaped building, with the most upper point being that of a shark's serrated jaws. A long flag pole consists of the crew's Jolly Roger. This complex was the headquarters of the Arlong Pirates, located on the coast of the Conomi Islands and is a perfect place to carry out their plans.

"Welcome back to us Nami! You were away from us for far longer this time!" a massive figure boomed. Sitting on a personal throne is a grinning sawshark fishman wearing a brown ushanka, multiple pieces of gold jewelry and multiple tattoos, including a sun-shaped one on his left pectoral. A dorsal fin was located on the nape of his neck and his gills were located on the side, him being a shark fishman and all. Arlong is the self-proclaimed ruler of this area, and a serious threat to East Blue in general.

Beside the large fishman there are 3 other figures. Chew is a blue-skinned trumpet fish fishman with long lips and blond hair wearing a simple blue vest and pants. Kuroobi is a ray fishman with wide fins on his elbows and wearing the attire of a traditional blackbelt. Lastly there was Hatchan, or Hatchi as his friends called him, and octopus fishman with pointy hair and a yellow shirt with green stripes.

"There were lots of people to fool this time! I made quite a haul!" Nami replied.

"Shahahaha! You are just as good as stabbing people in the back as always!"

"You know me…! It's what I do."

"Well this is a great occasion! Everybody! We're having a party to celebrate Nami's return!" Arlong declared. With that every fishman in the vicinity cheered. Nami gave a smile as she was welcomed back, stuffing her pain deeper inside her.

 _Meanwhile:_

Sanji's ship had been travelling on the waves for some time now. Gian was getting a run over from Yosaku on where they were headed, while Luffy was lounging on the stern of the ship. Sanji was sitting a short distance away.

"Once we get Nami we can head to the Grand Line!" Luffy smiled.

"Don't take this so lightly!" Yosaku scolded "This is quite serious! Arlong is dangerous!"

"I have no idea who that is, so it can't be that bad." Sanji mumbled.

"We've seen pirates before, and honestly I haven't heard much about him either. We just took down Don Krieg and he's supposed to be the strongest pirate in East Blue, so there shouldn't be that much problems." Gian agreed.

"You guys are all hopeless! Arlong is a fishman! And he's been to the Grand Line already!" Yosaku yelled.

"Oh… then we might have a much harder fight on our hands…" Gian muttered.

"See? Gian-aniki gets it!"

"Fishman? What's that?" Luffy asked.

"I do believe that there is a Fishman Island in the Grand Line… come to think of it, there are also many beautiful mermaids living them too!" Sanji claimed with a dreamy sigh, his eyes turned to hearts.

" _Great… our cooks is a closet pervert…"_ Gian thought with a grimace "Yes, Sanji is right. I've heard stories of Fishman Island. Truth be told, I know a fishman myself, a family friend, I think his name was Hack or something like that. He said he's a merchant but I always felt like he's hiding something. We got along well though."

"Really? Does he look like this?" Luffy held out a drawing, an absolute masterpiece of… a fish with human limbs.

"THAT THING LOOKS LIKE IT GOES THROUGH CEASELESS AGONY EVERY SINGLE DAY OF ITS LIFE! PUT IT OUT OF ITS MISERY!" Gian shouted, earning a laugh from Sanji and Luffy. "And no… Fishmen do not look like that, they just look like humans with fish features, but it depends on what kind of fish."

"Can the 3 of you get serious?!" Yosaku yelled.

"And yes, Yosaku is right as well. Fishmen and fishwomen are very adept swimmers and can breathe underwater so if you're fighting one in the water, you might as well write out your will. On land they're no slouches either, they are 10 times stronger than the average man. I used to spar quite a bit with the one I know, and I usually have to partially transform to match him on land. With that in mind, we can assume this Arlong is someone who's at least on par with that level of strength."

"Not only that, but Arlong has some connections with one of the Shichibukai! Gian-aniki probably knows a lot about them, don't you?"

"Luffy, the Oka Shichibukai are 7 pirates who work for the World Government, and in return they get freedom to do pretty much whatever they want as long as it isn't too illegal. They are some of the strongest pirates ever lived and people like them are not people we'd want to run into. Dracule Mihawk, who we ran into back at the Baratie, is one of them." Gian explained before the boy had the chance to ask. The Red Hair pirates have told him about some of the aspects of the world. Not to mention Goro knows quite a lot about this too.

"See? Gian-aniki knows how serious this is! Anyways Arlong happens to be the former crewmate of one of the shichibukai, a fishman named Jinbe. Arlong eventually ended up in East Blue, where ever since he arrived, 30 villages have fallen under his power."

"He's familiar with the 'Knight of the Sea'? Then we might actually have a hard time with this."Gian was slightly worried. "We'll have to be prepared."

"Yes, Arlong would be a terrifying opponent. But that's not the only thing I'm scared off." Yosaku mentioned, getting the attention of everyone on board

* * *

"There's been reports of ships being sunk by an unseen force in the area. Something apparently is attacking boats coming to the island, and every so often another ship disappear." Everybody was surprised at this.

"Great… so we essentially have a 50 percent chance of drowning before we can even get our navigator back?" Gian asked.

"That shouldn't be too much of a concern. From what I heard, only ships around the size of cruisers and Marine vessels are the ones that get targeted. Smaller ships like ours and this one should be ok… I hope." Yosaku assured him, albeit not convincingly.

"Well let's just pray to all forms of deities and hope we don't get dragged under the ocean then." Gian sighed.

"But first we should eat lunch!" Luffy cheered.

"…Don't see how the two are related but agreed."

"Fine, what do you lot want?" Sanji grinned lightly.

"Meat!" Luffy declared matter-of-factly.

"I want fried beans!" Yosaku added.

"Some scrambled eggs mixed with tomatoes if you will." Gian gave his own order.

"Alright, I'll have it done soon!" Sanji noted before heading off to the kitchen.

* * *

Pretty soon the Strawhats were about to enjoy the best lunch they had in weeks.

"It's so good to have a cook on board!" Luffy sighed contently.

"Now this is five-star service!" Gian complemented as he took a large bite out of his dish.

"Hopefully we can all dine together like this soon, and hopefully Nami-aneki would join us next time." Yosaku commented.

Suddenly the boat was rocked by a massive wave. The surprised crew yelped and looked over the edge of the boat, only to find the sea completely still. They were perplexed at what could've happened until a massive form rose from the water.

"It's a monster!" Luffy cried.

"Is this what's been attacking ships in this area?" Gian asked with alarm.

"I don't know! It might be but for some reason I don't think it is." Yosaku stammered.

It looks like a cow…" Sanji mumbled.

Indeed it was a cow, a species of animal known as a sea cow as a matter of fact. Its large body was shaped like a seal's and was covered in green markings. Its large head was that of a bovine with a pink nose with a nose ring through it.

"Hehe, it's kind of cute!" Gian chuckled.

"No it isn't! A monster like this shouldn't be around here; it should be out in the Grand Line!" Yosaku screamed.

"Grand Line… so there's a good chance that Arlong might've brought it with him as a pet…" Gian looked dejected "Shame, I always wanted a pet."

The sea cow was staring intently at the lunch the crew was in the middle of eating. Sanji soon deducted what it's here for.

"It must have smelled the cooking, it's probably hungry."

"WHAT?! No way it's gonna eat any of my meat!" Luffy shouted, before launching a punch at the animal, causing it to roar in pain and recoil away, only to give an angry roar back.

"No! Don't hurt it!" Gian protested.

"Yeah… it's clearly hungry, just give it a little bit of food. I'm not going to leave behind anyone who is starving, even if it's a giant sea monster. " Sanji said as he picked up a plate and held it in front of the beast. It gave it a sniff before opening its mouth, intent on swallowing the meal. However it went too far and decided to include the chef holding it as well…

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!" the poor animal only received a vicious kick instead.

"OH MY GOD I CAN'T WATCH!" Gian's soft spot for animals surfaced.

The sea cow was now covered in bumps and bruises. It began cowering at the sight of the two people who attacked him.

"Look what you've done, you're scaring it!" Gian scolded.

"That's what it gets for trying to steal our food!" Luffy huffed.

"Uhhh… what should we do with it…? if it recovers it might attack us again…" Yosaku voiced his concern.

"After the beating we gave it? I don't think so" Sanji snorted "I think we should let it pull us to our destination, it would definitely speed things up." With that in mind, he walked towards the large animal, but it only recoiled away from him.

"See? All it knows from you is pain. Let me do this." Gian walked over and reached out a hand. The giant sea animal flinched when it saw that and let out a few warning grunts.

"Calm yourself… I ain't gonna hurt ya."

Gian then fearlessly began stroking the side of its head. The cowfish was sweating buckets at this point, but eventually realized that the man meant it no harm. Soon it was closing its eyes contently as it leaned into the comforting scratches.

"Will you look at that? That trick works every time on any warm blooded animal! If only those lizards living on Solgell would be as easy as you, but those pricks are a bunch of heartless bitches." Gian smiled.

"Now, we're kind of in a rush at the moment, so do you mind giving us a ride to where some guy named Arlong is?"

The sea cow's eyes widened slightly after realizing these people want to go to the domain of its masters. In its simple mind it made the connection that these people are probably enemies of those that owned him. If its masters were here they'd probably order it to destroy them.

But the tall, muscular man had been rather kind to it. And even though his two crewmates did attack, they've overall been better people than those fishmen! Plus, those who control it aren't here at the moment, so they wouldn't know. As that thought took place, the sea cow nodded and turned around to allow a rope to be tied around its body.

"Thanks big guy! I knew I can count on you!" Gian cheered "Now I wonder if you have a name? Surely those fish came up with something for you. Man, Zoro and Usopp won't believe this!"

 _Meanwhile:_

"Nyu? Mohmoo isn't showing up…" Hatchi the octopus fishman mused as he roasted a whole boar behind him. It was the sea cow's favorite meal, and he often fed it to it many times a week. But today, it wasn't showing up…

"Oh well, guess I'll do some fishing."

Hatchi, thanks to his 6 arms, was able to see to 3 fishing poles at a time. However, fish weren't biting. He was so concentrated that he didn't notice someone come up behind him.

"Oi, are you a fishman?" Roronoa Zoro asked. Zoro had not been having a good day up to that point; first he was separated from Usopp, before his misdirection took hold and led him unwittingly to Arlong Park, where he was held captive. Not only that, but he also found out that Nami was a member of the Arlong Pirates all along.

Or so he thought, for the minute Arlong left with a number of fishmen to handle some business Nami appeared and freed him, even returning Wado Ichimonji to him. Because of this Zoro was able to fight his way past the remaining fishmen.

" _What's with that woman? It's clear that something complicated is going on here. And why are Luffy and Gian still not here yet? This is so confusing. She told me to leave but everything I have to do is in this place… WHY ARE THE TWO OF THEM NOT HERE YET?!"_

"Nyu, you're talking to me? Why yes, I am a fishman, an octopus fishman!" Hatchi informed him.

"My name is Hatchan, but everyone calls me 'Hatchi'. Are you here to see Arlong-san?"

"Uhh… yeah, where is he at?"

"I'm sorry but you just missed him. He left for Cocoyashi Village because there was some long nosed fellow causing trouble for us." Hatchi explained.

" _So that's where Usopp is…"_ Zoro realized "Oh… that's fine I'll just go to him then, do you know where Cocoyashi village is?"

"Yup, I'll take you there myself. Hop in my pot!" Hatchi motioned to a floating pot. Zoro nodded and hopped in.

 _Meanwhile:_

Cocoyasi Village used to be a peaceful town where people farmed and had little worry. However, when the Arlong Pirates arrived, it was placed under their control. Every month the villagers must pay tribute lest they want to be disposed of.

Today however, Arlong would be coming for a different reason.

"I heard someone in the village has weapons under their possession, which one of you is it?!" the large shark growled.

Cowering in one of the small houses was none other than the liar of the Strawhats himself. Usopp was terrified of the sight.

"Th-that's Arlong?! He's massive!"

"Yes… that's him alright. It's because of him that we're all suffering so much…" a woman replied bitterly beside him. The woman was a young lady of about 20 years old blue light blue hair wearing a yellow tank top and blue pants. A blue tattoo covered most of her right arm and chest. Her name is Nojiko, and she's actually Nami's adopted sister! She had found Usopp lying on the ground passed out and took him in until he recovered.

A man stepped out in front of the rest of the villagers. He is a middle aged man wearing a brown hat, brown shirt- pretty much his entire attire was brown, with yellow buttons here and there. The man was covered in stiches from an encounter with the fishmen years ago. On his hat there was a yellow pinwheel. This man is Genzo, the mayor of Cocoyashi Village.

"I'm the one with the weapons. Is it wrong for your subjects to have a weapon collection?"

"Having weapons… are a sign of rebellion. I've got over 30 villages under my control, I don't want to have any problems within my empire."

"Humans such as yourself are inferior beings fit only to pay us tribute. Your neighbours in Gosa Village failed to do so and I destroyed them for it. The fact that they did not pay their tribute indicates their rebellious notions."

"W-what?! That's insane! He destroyed a village just because they couldn't give him money?!" Usopp cried.

"Yes, that's how Arlong does things. He and the rest of his crew are a bunch of racists who think that humans are below them in every way. We're literally buying our lives with those tributes, and if even one person can't pay up then everyone is killed. That was what happened to Gosa Village." Nojiko closed her eyes and let out a pained breath.

"We can't even do anything about it… if we even have the slightest idea of rebellion we doom the whole village as well. There was one village west of where we are, Letchi Village, who tried to hold up arms when they heard Arlong was coming. From what I heard the village is completely decimated.

"Arlong destroyed that too?"

"No, remember when I told you Arlong brought a monster from the Grand Line with him?"

"Yeah, what does that have to do with it?"

"I slightly lied. He actually brought 2 with him. This second monster tore apart the village within 2 minutes. Even today we haven't found any survivors. The worst part is Arlong didn't even order it to attack; it emerged before he even got here and by the time he arrived all that was left of the village was destroyed wood. "

"N-no way! What kind of-?"

Usopp's concern was cut off when Genzo let out a pained scream as Arlong slammed him into a wooden post.

"The simple possession of a weapon is evidence enough for a rebellion! In order to prevent any other ideas about this, I'll kill you on the spot!" Arlong growled.

"You can't do this! We've been offering you tribute for 8 years! Where would we get the idea of a rebellion?!" Nojiko shouted as she stepped out from behind the building.

"As I said, even owning any weapons is enough reason. If you don't want this village to be ripped from its foundation, then I suggest you stay out of this. It matters not to me if you all die or not."

"Everyone! Please! Do not fight!" Genzo pleaded "Don't let what we've worked for 8 years go to waste…" he was about to resign to his fate when…

" **Kyaku Boshi!"**

A projectile soared towards the towering fishman and exploded on contact.

"Wha-? Who did that?!" the fishmen that escorted Arlong questioned.

"It is I! The most feared Pirate of all time! King Usopp!" the liar stood upon a roof and raised his pachinko at the sky.

"You better run! Or else I will rain fiery death upon you!" Usopp tried to look tough, but he was freaking out inside.

"Hey! It's that guy we tried to capture earlier!" One of the fishmen realized.

"CRAP! THEY KNOW WHO I AM!"

"That guy… what the heck is he doing?!" Nojiko asked, slightly bewildered.

"What… what is a human trying to do by attacking me?!" Arlong snarled as the smoke cleared, virtually unharmed. Rage boiled inside him as he saw what attacked him.

"A human like you… DARE ATTACK ME?!" Arlong roared and charged towards the building. With herculean strength the fishman easily ripped the building off its foundation. Usopp yelped in fear as he tumbled off the structure. He landed hard and immediately bolted from the sight.

Arlong was absolutely enraged as he prepared to rip up more buildings. He is stopped however by some of his subordinates.

"Let go of me! I'm going to kill that human!"

"Arlong-san please! If you destroy Cocoyasi Village then we won't have any more funds left!" one of the fishmen coaxed.

"Then we'll just rebuild! FIRST WE KILL ALL OF THEM!" Arlong snarled as he demolished another house.

"Please Arlong-san! Gosa village and Letchi Village both are already destroyed! Our goal is to take over this area, and we can't do that without funds!"

"Hey! He's getting away!" One of the fishmen noticed Usopp running.

"We'll make sure he's captured." Kuroobi and Chew both gave chase with a small group following them. Arlong was forced to be dragged back by the remaining fishmen, still cussing up a blue streak. The rest of the villagers looked on, hoping that the long nosed fellow will be alright.

 _Back with Luffy:_

"WAAAHOOOO! THIS IS SO MUCH FUN! FULL SPEED AHEAD TO ARLONG PARK!" Luffy cheered as the sea cow- Mohmoo- sped towards their destination. Thanks to the added force, they were travelling much faster now and looked to reach their destination within a couple of minutes. Indeed, Arlong Park could be seen soon and they were closing in fast.

"Goro is gonna be so jealous of this! I should take a picture!" Gian laughed while sitting on the cow's head. Mohmoo mooed in agreement.

The other two members of the group, however, were less enthusiastic about it. Yosaku's face was a shade of green to show that he was about to throw up.

"Oi… shouldn't you be a bit more careful?" Sanji called out to the kaiju-zoan user "If you fall in the water no one's gonna be able to get you out."

"Hey, what's life if you aren't livin' like Larry?" Gian nonchalantly replied.

"…Who's Larry?"

"Don't worry about it."

The crew were approaching Arlong Park in record speed. Mohmoo, however, was beginning to tire. Soon, it began drifting off course.

"Hey! That's the wrong way stupid bull!" Luffy shouted. "Back! Back! To the left!"

Mohmoo snorted with exhaustion and continued to swim in the wrong direction. Eventually the sea cow began approaching a big rock. Mohmoo suddenly dived straight down and rocketed the boat into the air with his tail.

"THIS IS JUST LIKE FLYING!" Luffy was happy as always

"WE LITERALLY ARE FLYING YOU IDIOT!" Sanji snapped.

Yosaku suddenly realized something was amiss "Hey… where's-?"

"W-WHAT… THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!" Gian's exhausted scream alerted them to the sight of the now drenched kaiju-zoan user being carried in the opposite direction.

"AAAAHHHH! Gian hold on! We're coming for you!" Luffy tried to stretch an arm out to grab him, but the boat was descending too fast. Soon, they crash-landed, barreling through a couple of trees.

"Stop…! Stop! Where are you taking me?! Bad cow! Bad!" Gian shouted from atop the beast's head as Mohmoo continued to swim away. Gian's strength was beginning to return as he thought about forcefully turning the animal around, but they were too far from shore to do anything without him falling off.

After about another 3 minutes, Mohmoo reached a small islet and slowed down. Gian shakily got off its head.

"Whew… land at last…" he shuddered and took a few steps. "Now…"

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU YOU DUMB ANIMAL?! DON'T YOU KNOW THAT I CAN'T BE SUBMERGED IN WATER?! YOU ARE SO FORTUNATE THAT MY BOOK DIDN'T GET WET, OR I'LL SKIN YOU!" Gian unleashed an entire tirade on the unfortunate sea cow, while pointing to the bag where his journal was kept in; the bag was a waterproof one. "And what the hell was with that stunt anyway? Why did you do that?!"

Mohmoo snorted passively, before making a gesture.

"…OK, I know Luffy can be a bit annoying and dumb at times, but he's still my captain and he really doesn't mean any harm. We need to get to Arlong Park to reunite with Nami! That little show of yours really put a dent in that plan!"

"…Moo?" Mohmoo tiled his head, slightly confused.

"Yeah, our nakama Nami kinda made off with our ship because he has something to do with your masters. You know, Nami? Orange haired girl? Eyes shine brighter than a thousand stars when she sees a lot of money?" The large sea cow dipped his head, remembering her.

"So yeah, which way is Arlong Park now that you took me on a joy ride?"

Mohmoo pointed a flipper towards the east and Gian could just make out the tip of the main building, its flag fluttering in the wind."

"So… we're west of them then. Ah, I could use a walk. First I gotta find where Luffy and the others are though. Thanks for telling me this!"

Gian was about to walk away but Mohmoo suddenly mooed and tried to block him. "Wha-? What is it now?!"

Mohmoo took on a fearsome expression and did a few movements.

"Are you saying that Arlong is scary?" Mohmoo nodded, Gian sighed at this.

"Yeah, to tell you the truth I'm kinda nervous about this too. This is the first time we've faced an enemy as fearsome at that. But even so, I need to do this. Nami is our nakama and we don't leave each other behind."

"If Arlong is troubling her, then I and the rest of our crew would help her in every way possible. That's what I believe, so do you understand that I have to go?"

Mohmoo thought it over a bit, then nodded reluctantly and released his flippers.

"Alright, thanks big guy! You take care of yourself."

With that, the Kaiju-zoan user walked up the shore.

* * *

Gian walked for a bit longer before spotting a forest. Upon seeing this, a gasp escaped his lips.

"Wow… did that bovine dropped me off at a logging camp or something?"

The forest in front of him was what you'd expect, save for massive gap between two points. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the trees were literally snapped in two and appeared to be crushed by some form of heavy object.

" _Did the cow do this?_ "

Gian walked along the ravaged path, all the while getting a feeling of dread. It was as if something horrible has happened alongside this wrecked forest. Meanwhile, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.

Eventually, the forest broke into a medium sized clearing. What greeted the man was an even more disturbing scene.

In the middle of the clearing is a village, or at least the remains of one. Every building was demolished completely; the wood shattered or torn up. Large trenches were carved into the earth in multiple areas with no particular pattern whatsoever. Small holes littered the ground; Gian could not make out what they were.

Gian ran towards the ruins, looking around feverously. The strong feeling of loss and death still clung to the ruins, even though the remains appeared to be have some age to them.

" _It's like I walked into a horror movie… What could've happened here?! Could Arlong have done this? No… even an army of fishmen couldn't have done this much devastation. The buildings here were literally pulverized to pieces. But if not Arlong, then wha-?"_

Before anything else could be done, Gian suddenly felt a bag thrown over his head. As he struggled and kicked he could feel hands grabbing his limbs. He felt, in utter darkness, himself being carried off, or is being dragged?

That motion suddenly stopped before he was dropped on the ground heavily. Gian didn't even have a chance to protest before he heard a door slamming…

 **A/N: What has happened to our hero?**

 **G: I'm getting kidnapped?!  
Well not exactly, you'll find out in the next chapter.**

 **G: Oh… well at least the cliffhanger idea was better put this time around.**

 **Really?**

 **G: No, you still suck.**

 **Asshole…**

 **Anyways, like I said, there are going to be changes to the Arlong Park arc. Some additional features will be added, like that in the ending. Also, Mohmoo will have a sort of relationship with Gian by the end of the arc. I always felt kinda sorry for the poor cow, it just kept getting beat up even though half the time it looked like it has no idea what it's doing. Also if you read through the chapter, you will notice I dropped a sort of Easter egg within the lines.** **Those familiar with the Godzilla series may have a good idea of who our mystery monster might be!**

 **Also I'm surprised I got this chapter out this quick! Working hard has its perks it seems.**

 **G: hah, just like you'd probably last that long in bed!**

 **Um… this chapter came out around a week after last chapter. If I last that long then I'd be amazing.**

 **G: Damn you! You got me this time but I will return!**

 **Please no…**

 **More will come in the next chapter, which I hope to be out by next week. In the meantime, I hope this makes up for a rather disappointing last chapter (imo). I know I promised that the fight between Luffy in Krieg would've been different, because I planned to have Gian join the fight at some point, but writing it through I just couldn't find the opportunity to throw him in.**

 **With that, hope you all enjoy reading this chapter!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will do a Pokemon Nuzlocke of your choice!**

 **G: NO! THAT'S TOO MUCH EMOTIONAL DISTRESS!**


	19. Horror Of The Deep

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCS, abilities and locations.**

"HEY! WHO TURNED OFF THE BRIGHTS?!"

Isn't this a great way to begin a rescue on a crewmate? Getting hogtied and carried off by people? Well Gian certainly thinks not. He can hear a group of people clamouring around him, whispering furiously. The voices were laced with suspicion and anger, he can tell, but can't make out what they were saying. The bag is still over his head, so all he could do is yell out profanities until somebody paid attention.

Finally the bag was ripped from his head. Gian's head snapped around looking at everything. He finally realized that he was in dimly lit room, with what appears to be a storage for sake as he could make out the bottles of said booze around him. That alone is a task in itself, because as of right now, he was completely surrounded by people. He also noted his arms and legs were bound to the floor.

Each person in the room looked like they could've seen better days. They were wearing the most torn up and tattered clothing he'd ever seen; it was even worse than the little overalls he wore back when he was still an experiment on Punk Hazard! Every one present (there were about 10) had dirty matted hair and sunken, sullen eyes. They're at the point where their bodies had very little mass to it; nothing more than skin and bones. All together there were 5 men (one of them being an old man), 4 women, and one child. Gian had to do a double take; just what the heck is going on here?!

His musings were broken out of by one man, a middle aged man with a grizzled look wearing a faded yellow shirt, as he grabbed him by the collar and met his eyes.

"So you people have come at last?!" The man demanded "Trying to capture us after all we've been through?" the man angrily demanded. One of the women was trying to calm him down.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about! Where am I even?" Gian was still confused. "All I was doing was minding my own business! Then you and your gang threw themselves at me and got me here! Speaking of which, WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?!"

"Look at where you are now, you're in no position to ask any questions! Now answer me, why are you here?! Are you here to report us to Arlong? Are you one of Arlong's?" the man demanded again.

"Look, you're still not making any sense here. I'm not involved with Arlong in any way! What is this-?"

"LIAR! Don't think we don't know! Tutter here saw you with that monster of his!" The man pointed to a younger man with matted long hair and wearing nothing but a single bed sheet.

"Deimo, please. I think he's telling the truth…" a woman tried to coax him. She had black hair and the same worn out shirt, except this was a faded red color.

"What, you mean the cow? Yeah he kinda got me separated from my crew but I was about to head back to find them!" Gian protested. "Arlong and our navigator has some past with each other and she's kinda wrapped up in that. We're here to help her out and get her back."

"Narsha, stay out of this." The man ordered. "This man works for Arlong I'm sure of it!"

"Are you crazy?! Why would a bunch of fishmen want me to be in their crew?! I have my own, not to mention I'm a human!"

"So what if you're a human? If you're useful to him then he keeps you anyway! Just look at that orange haired witch! She's making maps for him as we speak!" Deimo growled.

"What does- wait, orange hair? You mean Nami?"

"And you still say you aren't one of Arlong's? You even know her name!" Deimo scoffed.

"She's the reason why my crew came here to begin with… Arlong seems to be causing her a lot of pain internally. I'm not with Arlong, I'm a member of the newly formed Strawhat Pirates, and Nami is supposed to be our navigator." Gian tried to explain.

"Is that so? Then you're still a pirate then! Even if you aren't one of Arlong's you're still a criminal. I should kill you right away! One less pirate in the-"

"Deimo, don't be rash!"

"This conversation has gone on LONG enough!" Gian snapped with exasperation as he gathered his strength and easily broke out of the ropes, shocking everyone with the sudden show of stength. "Look old man, I've had a pretty horrible day thus far. A dumb sea cow just took me on a cruise and separated me from my captain and cook. I'm supposed to have met up with them by now but instead I'm wandering around in a desecrated village and being locked in a dark room with a bunch of hoboes! So instead of wasting any more of my time, how about you show me the way out so I can get to Arlong Park and get our navigator back? Now get out of my back!" Gian was kinda pissed off by this point; there was just too many things getting in his way at this point. He found a sort of door above him, led by stairs, and went on ahead, but before he can get anywhere Deimo roughly grabbed his arm.

"You are not leaving this room!"

"That's not for you to decide, Let go of me."

Deimo was not letting up and struggled to prevent the man from leaving. Gian growled and tried to wrestle himself free, but despite his weakened appearance, the man had a grip of iron. The two struggled back and forth for a bit, until Gian suddenly pounced on the man, bringing him down to the ground. The rest of the people all gasped in fear and tried to reach for whatever weapon they could reach, but Gian soon got off him.

"I don't like making threats, but as you can see I outclass you in terms of strength. Don't get in my way again." With that Gian opened the opening door and was just about to step out, but quickly slammed it shut. Before the confused group could ask why, they were greeted with a finger to lips signal: to keep quiet.

"Fishmen, 2 of them coming this way. Don't let them hear you." Gian motioned. This got everyone's attention and they all huddled together fearfully.

Soon the group could hear footsteps and conversation coming from the outside.

* * *

"I still couldn't believe that Nami actually killed that long-nose." Gian's eyes widened when he heard this. Nami killed Usopp? That was borderline impossible… and yet…

"Hey, it was either that or Kuroobi-san brands her as a traitor. Naturally we have to know if she's trustworthy or not."

"Yeah, I know. I just never thought she had it in her."

" _So she was forced into it…"_ Gian mentally growled.

"Don't beat yourself over it that much. As much as we need her to draw maps for us we can't have defectors either. Useful or not she's either fully loyal to Arlong-san or she dies like the rest of those inferior humans who resist him."

"I don't think that'll be a problem, after all Arlong-san did promise to kill her entire village if she has even the slightest thought of betrayal."

"Haha, that's true… oh, we walked this far."

"Letchi Village huh, it was unfortunate for us that this source of funding was lost."

"I still can't believe that beast followed us here. I mean I guess it was sort of our fault for throwing people overboard, but who knew it would've thought we'd give it a constant source of food?"

"Man, that day was like etched into my mind. When we finally got to the place it was completely destroyed… all we could see was it walking back to the ocean after it sated its hunger."

"On that subject… aren't you one of the people that's got to make sure it doesn't go off destroying other villages as well as our special guest this time?"

"Don't remind me, please. I'm sweating just thinking about getting near that monster."

The two voices continued for a bit as they grew more distant, until no more sound could be heard signifying their departure.

* * *

"I don't believe this, Nami doesn't kill people! She steals, sure but straight up murder? That can't be right! Just how much control does Arlong have over her?" Gian protested. This was seriously getting to the next level by this point.

"Like they mentioned, if she doesn't comply with their demands, then her entire village dies." Deimo muttered while sitting on the floor looking rather sullen. "If you ask me, she has it easy."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!" Gian whirled back angrily. Did he hear that right? This person was downplaying this whole thing?!

"She doesn't have to worry about living with nothing. She has all the things she needs to live. What else matters?"

"She's pretty much a slave! I heard it clearly, she either draws those maps or Arlong destroys her village! How is that living when she doesn't even have a choice?" Gian demanded.

"She's breathin' isn't she?" Deimo scoffed.

"Hey now, listen here that's not-" Gian angrily was about to remark when he was suddenly dragged off to the side by the woman who spoke earlier. The lady had the 10 year old kid with her, both were looking rather down.

"He has been like this since the incident. We've all tried to talk to him, but once a man loses his spirit it is hard to get him back…" The woman mumbled.

"Well he better shut it or there's going to be problems! I'll tell ya I-" Gian raged until he saw the sullen looks of not just the two, but everyone around them as well. "I'm sorry, he was probably an important person. It must be hard to see him become like this."

"We don't like it, but we understand" The woman sighed "As the village's former mayor he holds himself responsible for everything that has happened here."

"By the way, I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Narsha, Deimo's wife. This is Bota, our son." The woman gestured to herself and the kid.

"Gian, it's nice to meet the first lady I suppose."

"Well, Gian-san we would really like to welcome you more formally but we lack the resources for that, as you can see."

"Don't push yourself for it, I had lunch before I got here. Besides, if I didn't know better I'd think getting a bag thrown over my head and thrown in a basement storage was the custom around here."

"Yeah… I'm really sorry about that…" Narsha grinned sheepishly.

"Nah, I'm just messin' with y'all. I can understand the need for it."

* * *

For the next little bit, Gian received multiple apologies from the remaining villagers. During this time Deimo sat far away from the others.

"We don't have much here, maybe a bit of bread and some sake, are you sure you don't want anything?" the man that Gian remembers as Tutter asked once again.

"Keep it, you probably need it more than I do right now, so don't waste it." Gian assured him.

"Well we have to make it up to you somehow, we also have about 125 million beri that we have no need of right now. If you're short on money you can take that."

"Look, I really don't- wait, 125 million?" Gian gawked "how and why did only about 10 people get that much money?!"

Tutter's face turned solemn at that. "Our village used to have much more people in it, almost 60 and we used to be the richest village in the area. After that day… we're the only ones that are left. That was 7 years ago."

"…No way, I remembered the fishmen saying something about a monster attacking this village, but to the point of almost exterminating it?" Gian was shocked beyond belief.

"This village is well hidden within the jungle, even Arlong didn't find it initially. When he finally got word of our whereabouts, Deimo-san decided to make a stand and fight to the death for our home." The young man let out a bitter sigh. "As much as I dislike the state he's in right now, I can agree with one thing: it would've been better if we either died that day, or found by Arlong."

"Why didn't you just call the Marines? Even if Marine HQ is far from here I'm sure they can spare a few people." Gian brought up.

"Peh, the Marines? We'll be lucky if anything'll be left when they get here!" Tutter scoffed, then looked even more frustrated. "Arlong managed to bribe a Marine to keep quiet about everything that's happened here, we don't know how but he did. And even if someone managed to get word out, they'll never be able to even come close to the island. Not with that… _creature_ lurking below the waves…!"

 _Meanwhile:_

A few miles from shore sailed a ship with the signature emblem of the Marines. They had managed to receive a signal from the former Gosa village about the Arlong Pirates. Commodore Pudding Pudding, a simple marine officer with purple hair tied into 3 ponytails, headed the mission to rescue any survivors of Gosa village.

Soon, the ship can spot Arlong Park on the horizon. Seeing this, a sudden idea came to the commodore's mind.

"Men, as we know our mission is to assist the survivors of Gosa Village, but as the envoys of justice we cannot simply let pirates do as they please! Right now, this fortress that is Arlong Park stands before us, we will eliminate them! Men, fire the cannons!"

"Yes Sir!" the marines on the ship loaded up the cannon and fired a single shot at the building.

None of them at that moment knew that this would be their last mission ever.

Deep beneath the sea, just a set distance away, the sound of the explosion awoke a slumbering beast.

At this depth, sunlight is rather limited, which is hard for normal people to see clearly. But the creature's simple yet compound eyes could make out the rippling of a ship, a large one. It growled hungrily, before shifting is massive body and pushed off the sea floor.

Nearby 3 fishmen took note of this. They could only feel the slightest of pity for the poor souls about to become the latest victims of the monster.

"Go inform Arlong-san, Ebirah is on the move again."

 _Meanwhile:_

Arlong was informed of the arrival ages ago, and had his crew prepare 2 million beri to try and diffuse the situation. As much as he loves money, he knows that the marines interfering in his business could spell trouble for his growing empire. So far, Captain Nezumi of the 44th branch has been very cooperative, and Arlong hoped this one would be too. That is until the cannonball struck.

The projectile smashed into Arlong's open mouth, and was chewed up into pieces instantly.

"So, about the negotiations?" Kuroobi asked.

"Forget it, kill them all." Arlong snarled as he spat the remaining pieces out. The fishmen all cheered as they were about to embark on the destruction of the marines, until a single fishman hopped out of the water and whispered something into Arlong's ear.

"Never mind, they're on a timer right now." Arlong smirked. The fishmen were silent at that; they knew exactly what that meant.

"Chu, I think I'll go warn them. It'll be fun to watch them try to run." Chew mentioned.

"Go ahead, we all know they won't get too far. Shahahaha!" Arlong laughed.

 _Back with the Marines:_

"The cannonball seemed to have failed… fire another one!" Pudding Pudding commanded.

Suddenly Chew jumped out of the water and spat a ball of water at the commodore, knocking him off his feet. The marines around them drew their weapons fearfully as Hatchi and Kuroobi joined him.

"So, you humans have come uninvited it seems. Do you even know what you're getting into, chu?" Chew scoffed.

"We are the ones that bring about justice! We aren't scared of a few pirates like you." The commodore snapped.

"Believe me you should be. Regrettably, we won't be the ones engaging you today. We're here to leave a word. Leave this area lest you want your ship to sink to the bottom of the ocean." Kuroobi sneered.

"Don't think a few threats can deter us!" the marines yelled.

"Chu, don't say we didn't warn you. Then again we really couldn't care less if you listen or not. You won't make it out of these seas anyway." With that the 3 fishmen dove back into the sea before the marines could question them about what they meant.

"Who do those pirate think they are to be making such-" Pudding Pudding demanded before a call alerted him.

"Commodore! There's something approaching from our left!"

The commodore turned around and his eyes instantly widened. Indeed there was a ripple of water that was quickly approaching the ship. Before it made impact, the ripple quickly disappeared.

Before they could even question what is going on, a massive red claw suddenly shot out of the water. The commodore barely let out a scream before the mammoth appendage slammed down hard on the ship, pulverizing it instantly. The last thing the hapless marines saw was a massive red beast closing in on them.

Within seconds, the sea returned to eerie peacefulness. If one didn't know better, they would think that nothing happened here. There was no trace of the marine ship left save for a few pieces of drift wood. It was then that the three fishmen popped their heads out of the water, a few meters away.

"Nyu… Ebirah's ferocity always gives me the shivers…" Hatchi shuddered.

"Chu, nonetheless that beast has kept the marines away from us. It has its uses." Chew noted.

"Well, we can agree on one thing: as long as Ebirah lurks beneath the waves, no large ship can make land here. With it around the Marines can never trouble us." Kuroobi smirked.

The entire duration of the attack was witnessed by the villagers of Cocoyasi Village. The look of horror and despair were clear on their faces.

"This is our reality… We can't escape Arlong's rule…" Nojiko gritted.

 _Later:_

"Shahahaha! Those marines didn't stand a chance!" Arlong laughed after the 3 fishmen told him about the entire event.

"Yup! Ebriah crushed the ship like a bunch of matchsticks! With it alongside our power, we have nothing to fear on these seas!" Hatchi hooted.

"Indeed, with all that along with Nami's maps we will rule all of East Blue!" Kuroobi confirmed.

"Ah, right. Nami's maps. She really is valuable isn't she?" Arlong sighed. "It's a shame I'll have to let her go once she met the 100 million beri mark and buys back her village."

"Nyu? Arlong-san we're really going to let her go that way?" Hatchi asked.

"I have to, the deal was made 8 years ago and she promised 100 million beri." Arlong grinned, something was clearly hidden here "And you all know me, I _never_ break a promise involving money!"

 _Meanwhile:_

" _That was honestly one of the most messed up stories I've ever heard… and I've seen and experienced some shit…"_

That was the thought going through Gian's head as he walked towards the direction of where Cocoyasi village is supposed to be located. The survivors of Letchi Village have told him the entirety of their history as well as the encounter with the horrifying beast that shattered their entire life. The whole ordeal shook him to his core; to have your entire livelihood ripped away from you in an instant… he just couldn't imagine it!

And he thought being used as a test subject was horrible!

" _This island is getting more dangerous by the minute. No doubt by now Arlong knows we're here and are probably sending people out to find us. There's also this giant sea monster lurking off the coast. Wasn't this originally about getting our navigator back or something? How did we get involved in all this?!"_

With this in mind he continued to look for his crew; it wasn't before long when he heard a loud voice shouting angrily at another.

"YOU'RE LYING! THERE'S NO WAY NAMI WOULD KILL USOPP! WE'RE NAKAMA!" the voice is no doubt Luffy's, and as Gian raced towards the source, he could see that the strawhat teen was now gripping Johnny's collar with a tight fist. Zoro, Sanji and Yosaku are also present.

"B-but t-that's what I saw!" the sunglasses wearing bounty hunter tried to explain.

"Hold on, all of you don't make any rash decisions right now." Gian intercepted before Luffy got anymore pissed off.

"Gian-aniki, you're alive!" Yosaku breathed out in relief.

"Where were you wandering off at?" Sanji asked.

"I got… _carried_ _away_ , hehehe." Can you blame him? Sanji walked right into that! Gian then turned more serious. "However, Nami really did apparently kill Usopp, at least that's what I got wind of."

"Eh? And just where did you hear about that?" Sanji demanded.

"I overheard 2 fishmen talking while I was hi… on my way here." Gian swiftly corrected. Before departing the ruined village, Narsha had told him that he must not tell anyone that the village still has survivors. No matter what Gian said about how his nakama could be trusted could sway the village headwoman. In the end the Kaiju-zoan user has to relent.

"You have to have misheard Gian! Nami couldn't have done something like that!" Luffy shouted.

"You're placing too much trust on the woman" Zoro scoffed "The way I see it she's played us all for fools."

"Luffy… sometimes there's things that you can't make mistakes with." Gian sighed. "But I have my doubts about the whole thing, to tell you the truth, however. Nami just doesn't look like the person who can just kill someone in cold blood. In fact I-" Before he could reveal the next part of his eavesdropping, a voice called them all to attention.

"What are you still doubting over? I killed him and that's all there is to it."

Nami walked up the small path towards her former associates, her face not revealing anything.

"Hey, Nami! We came to get you, let's go!" Luffy greeted.

"Go? I already made it clear that our cooperation with each other is over already." Nami sneered "In fact, Because of Zoro's little stunt back there, Arlong now wants to kill all of you guys."

"Zoro… what did you do…?" Gian groaned.

"What? All I did was knock around a few underlings. They weren't anything special."

"What you did made Arlong turn his attention to you! You guys may be strong but you've never seen any real monsters before! You aren't a match for him!"

"Um… I'm like standing right here… Free monster petting zoo?" Gian pointed at himself, to which Luffy, Zoro and Sanji smirked at that.

"Do not go there. You might have that devil fruit of yours, but a monster like Arlong has done things you can't even dream of." Nami brushed him off.

"Alright, enough with that. I already explained before that we're all here to help."

"Ah, Nami-san is so beautiful when she's serious! Hey, do you remember me?" A lovestruck Sanji interrupted.

"…like I said, we're in this together. All you have to do is-" Gian was swiftly shot down however…

"Do you still not get it?! We were never nakama!" Nami snarled. "I only got close to you guys so I can get more money. Now that you played your part I have no more reason to be travelling with you! I'll give you back your ship, then you guys leave and find a new navigator! Go find One Piece or whatever you want to do! Just get off this island. I don't want to see any of you ever again!"

Luffy suddenly fell flat on the ground.

"I'm going to take a nap." He stated.

"Eh? Why are you taking a nap in the middle of the road? Now of all times?!" Johnny and Yosaku deadpanned.

"I don't feel like leaving the island, and I don't know anything else about what's going on so I'll sleep"

"At least get a blanket… you'll catch a cold…" Gian mumbled.

"FINE THEN! IF YOU ALL WANT TO DIE SO BADLY THEN STAY!" Nami gave a frustrated scream before running off. The rest of the crew stared after her. Gian sighed and sat down on the road.

"When did this get so complicated…"

"Nami-san was crying back there." Sanji suddenly said.

"Really? I didn't see anything." Zoro muttered.

"On the inside. She was crying in her heart."

"Wow… that is deep." Gian snickered. "But actually it has some truth to it. Like I was saying before I was interrupted… it appears Nami's killing of Usopp wasn't intentional. I overhead the two fishmen saying that if she doesn't do it, her village would be slaughtered. From what it sounds like it seems that Nami was pretty much forced into it."

"Really? That brutal?" Johnny and Yosaku mumbled.

"Tch, doesn't matter now that Usopp is dead. She can cry all she wants." Zoro huffed.

"Really? We still don't know if it's true or not." Sanji pointed out.

At this point, the crew was suddenly alerted to someone running up to them.

"Everyone! I found you at last! I'm here!"

"Usopp?" "He's alive?" Zoro and Sanji's eyes were both raised at that.

"I have to tell you something! It's about Nami she's- WAAAAAGH!" Usopp suddenly cried out when Gian slammed a log into him, that he somehow acquired for some reason…

"DIE ZOMBIE! Oh… wait… Usopp is alive!"

"Yeah… about that... I think you just killed him…." Everyone else sweat dropped at the twitching sniper.

* * *

 _Later:_

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD DO THAT!" Usopp yelled as Gian nervously shuffled.

"I'm sorry… I and my mind have been through too much bullshit today…" Gian hung his head again.

"But seriously? Everyone said you were dead? How are you still here?"

"AH?! Usopp's alive?" Luffy woke up at this point.

"Yeah! And I have something to say!"

"Then Johnny lied! Nami didn't kill you!"

"Exactly! Nami actually helped me escape!" the Liar explained to them. "One of Arlong's officers watched her kill me, but instead of stabbing me she stabbed her hand! She pretty much used that as a cover up! With that in mind, I think there's something going on between them!"

"I knew it… what those two fishmen said just sounded like there was more than meets the eyes." Gian slammed his fist into the road.

"So then, what should we do? Attack Arlong Park to save her?" Zoro asked.

"Wh-wha? I didn't mean go that far yet-"

"Yeah I don't see why not? I'll just do a full transformation. I'll destroy the place with a single **Atom Ray**!" Gian declared.

"Oh yeah… you always said you can do something like that but we've never seen it before." Zoro pointed out.

"Well now's as good time as any. So let's go and-"

"Don't bother, it's useless no matter what you do."

The crew gave a start and turned around to see Nojiko approach them. The woman was now eyeing each one of her younger sister's crew, and they were… interesting… to say the least.

"Oh, that's Nami's sister! She found me when we first got to the island." Usopp informed them.

"Nami-san's older sister is just as beautiful as she is!" Sanji swooned.

"And she has ink too… uh I mean, hey it's nice to meet you. The name's Gian…" The kaiju-zoan user blundered for a bit. Just because this was a serious moment doesn't mean that he can't appreciate other things!

Nojiko ignored them and continued "Please, you don't understand what's going on here. It's better if you don't get yourselves involved and leave Nami to do this alone."

"What do you mean by that?" Sanji asked.

"I'll tell you why she's doing all this and what role she plays, but after this please leave."

"Yeah, it's best if we hear this out. We can learn something." Gian nodded.

"Yeah, I'm all ears!" Usopp chimed.

"Well you guys listen to it, I'm going for a walk." Luffy stated, ignoring Usopp's protests. In his mind, Nami is already his nakama, and no past is going to change that. Nojiko rose an eyebrow at that.

"Don't mind him, he does things his own way. We'll listen to the story." Gian assured her.

"Right, well to tell you the whole thing I'll have to bring the story back to 8 years ago. Back then there was a woman in this village, and she was the most important person to Nami and me. Her name… was Bell-mere."

 **A/N: And Cut!**

 **G: What is this? A movie all of a sudden?**

 **You can say that.**

 **G: Sweet! I always wanted to be an actor!**

 **Well this chapter is done, and I've dropped the name of our mystery monster! Those who watch Godzilla movies know exactly who it is, and if the name is unfamiliar to you, then google it and you'll see why I decided to use it here.**

 **With that this chapter is over and since the next chapter is the 20** **th** **one, I'm going to be doing a Q &A of sorts. If you have any questions on anything I'll add in the future, leave a review or a PM! I won't give any spoilers (not major ones anyway) but some things to spice up your tastes, and hope that can leave you expecting more!**

 **With that I hope you enjoy this one! I hope I tied in this well enough.**

 **Leave a review and Gian will go free Orcas at SeaWorld!**

 **G: SAVE THEM!**


	20. What more reason do you need?

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities and locations.**

" _That creature almost got me again… it's a good thing Arlong's group of fish managed to keep it away…"_

Another marine ship has arrived near Cocoyasi Village. Unlike before, this one managed to survive an assault from Ebirah, albeit barely. The monster truly knows no bounds; every large ship, animal or village up in this patch of territory is fair game for it. Even the Sea cow under Arlong's ownership fears it and shies away from it, heck even Arlong himself doesn't want to get on its bad side! Because of its voracious nature, Arlong has had to post guards to make sure it doesn't go off eating any villages on its own. Fortunately for them, the Fishmen all have superior mobility underwater, so they usually manage to avoid death, usually.

It begs the question why Captain Nezumi of the 16th branch would even set foot here, now wouldn't it? However, this marine was not the same as the one who tried to come before.

Nezumi was a man of medium height that overall looks… like a rat. He has the beady eyes of a rat, his moustache was styled to look like a rat, and even his uniform was topped with 2 rodent ears. It's unknown if he has a rat fetish or not but that's beside the point.

Normally the marines showing up would be a godsend to the villagers, however Nezumi was here for a completely different reason…

Giving a cocky sneer to the villagers coming to inspect him, Nezumi gave the following order:

"Where is the girl named Nami?"

 _While this was happening:_

Nojiko's story was one that nearly shattered the hearts of the people that were present. It was one that spoke of hardship and loss, something that almost everyone there was well acquainted with. Even so, hearing about it never fails to leave a mark.

 **Flashback:**

 _8 years ago in Cocoyasi Village, it was much more peaceful than it is now. Nobody has to worry about anything up to this point except for-_

" _GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE THIEF!"_

 _A younger Genzo, one without scars, was currently chasing a short oranged haired girl wearing a pale yellow skirt. Yup, this was none other than Nami at the young age of 10, and even then it seemed that she had a knack for skullduggery._

" _I told you many, many times! You cannot steal!" Genzo scolded once he finally caught up to the little girl. He held her up by the scruff of the shirt, akin to how someone would hold a cat._

" _I can't help it, our family is poor and I can't buy it normally!" the girl replied._

 _The two continued to argue until they got to a small house. Genzo knocked on the door loudly, all the while shouting._

" _Bell-mere! Come out at once, your little burglar has been caught once again!"_

 _The door was opened, revealing a tall woman wearing a checkered shirt with the words 'MACE' written on it, a pair of purple pants and had a cigar lit. Her reddish-pink hair was shaved on the sides, giving her a Mohawk. Bell-mere is the owner of the tangerine orchid behind the house, and it served at the family's source of income._

" _You need to do something about this! How many times has it been now?" Genzo snapped._

" _Oh, Nami, were you stealing again? Well, it's not that big of a deal is it?" the woman smirked._

" _What is that supposed to mean?! You're way too easy on her!" Genzo shouted._

" _Oh… alright, she does need more discipline. Unfortunately I don't have any money right now, so how about I pay you back…" Bell-mere's facial expression turned from one of concern to that of a sultrier one "With my_ Body…?"

" _WHA?! DON'T SAY THINGS LIKE THAT!" this, unfortunately, is all too common for the man. Doesn't make it any less awkward and embarrassing for him though. The two ladies then laughed uproariously._

 _Bell-mere was a former marine soldier that lives in Cocoyasi, with Nami and Nojiko as her adopted daughters. At first nobody thought that she, someone who used to be quite the troublemaker, could even attempt something as hard as rearing a child, let alone two. However, as time went by, they all loved to see the 3 of them living together. As of right now, the little family lived a rather simple life of farming tangerines for a living. They were quite happy, albeit with money problems every now and then. Even as a child Nami had a passion for map-making and had a dream of making a map of the entire work, which her adopted mother and sister wholeheartedly supported. However, not everything would be so simple._

 _As mentioned, the family was quite poor, and unfortunately this sometimes caused some arguments between them. One day Bell-mere made another dress for Nami, however, Nami was less than pleased._

" _These are just more of Nojiko's old clothing…"_

" _Well you're younger than me so naturally get what I can't wear anymore. Besides my clothes are old too." The blue haired girl replied._

" _But I want new clothes!"_

" _You're my sister, naturally you get mine!"_

" _Why should that matter? You're not my real sister anyway! Bell-mere-san isn't our real mom either? We don't even share blood!" Nami shouted. At this, Bell-mere strode over and reared back her hand_

 _*SLAP_

" _WHAT KIND OF TALK IS THAT?! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOU THINGS LIKE THAT EVER AGAIN!" Bell-mere shouted, Nami however, was really despondant today._

" _I BET YOU DON'T ACTUALLY WANT US HERE! BECAUSE OF US YOU DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY! I SHOULD'VE BEEN TAKEN IN BY A RICH FAMILY!"_

" _IF THAT'S HOW YOU FEEL THEN YOU CAN LEAVE!" tears were now in the older woman's eyes; each word that was uttered stung harsher than a thousand cuts._

" _FINE!"_

 _It was because of that Nami ran away that day. However, the bonds of family can overcome any petty argument. After Bell-mere calmed down she really regretted what she said, and immediately asked Nojiko to find Nami so they can all have dinner together. Meanwhile Nami herself, after some heart to heart with Genzo, also felt sorry for what she's done. It seems like the little family would be back together once again._

 _Fate, however, is a cruel mistress._

" _SHAHAHAHA! From today, this island belongs to me! From now on, every month on this day, you either pay for your lives or forfeit it!"_

 _The arrival of the Arlong Pirates shattered every aspect of peace. With little resistance, the village could do nothing except pay the tributes assigned in order to survive. However, while others did not have as much problems with the money right now, Bell-mere was a completely different story…_

" _100 000 beri for every adult, 50 000 beri for every child… there's no way Bell-mere can pay for that!" Fear filled the villager's hearts as they realized what would befall the family should they be found._

 _They tried to hide the two children, and also hoped that Arlong would not find the small house, which was located some distance away from the village. However, that was not to be._

" _One last house it seems…" Arlong noted as he saw smoke rising from the distance. He arrived and entered the door._

 _Suddenly Arlong was kicked to the ground, a rifle lodged in his mouth._

" _Heh, you pirates didn't expect that a former marine would be living here now would you?" Bell-mere smirked. "Now why don't-"_

 _Whatever she was about to say was cut off when Arlong simply bit down on the barrel, the gun instantly smashed to pieces._

" _Pathetic human, did you really think that would work?" Arlong cackled before easily flipping the woman over his shoulder, slamming her hard into the ground._

" _This goes to show you, just how far apart our species is!" Before anyone can do anything, Arlong grabbed the former marine's arm and bit down, hard. Bell-mere's scream of pain could be heard from the village as Arlong mercilessly ripped a hunk of flesh out, just like his namesake._

" _Bell-mere-san!" both Nami and Nojiko almost cried out as they saw the horrific scene, fortunately Dr. Nako managed to silence them._

" _Now, like I said to the other humans, for every adult its 100 000 beri and 50 000 for every child. Pay up, or pay with your life."_

" _Bell-mere… how much money do you have?" Genzo whispered urgently as he caught up._

" _With everything… just barely over 100 000…" Bell-mere gritted. Genzo's eyes widened as he realized what that meant._

" _She doesn't have any children. She a lone tangerine farmer that lives by herself." Genzo lied. It was the only way that all three of them could be saved!_

" _Nyu? But there's food for 3 people here?" Hatchi pointed out._

" _T-that's because she invited me and another friend over for dinner… yeah! We were just about to go when you guys showed up…"_

 _Nami and Nojiko were informed of what is going on, and both were praying for their mother's safety. Neither of them wanted to leave the village, but what choice do they have? However, upon hearing what she was faced against, Bell-mere decided to make a choice._

" _Hold it, those 100 000 beri are for my 2 daughters. I don't have any for myself." Bell-mere stated, blood still flowing freely from the bite. The bitten arm was hanging limply by her side; the force of the chomp had been so powerful it shattered her bones along with ripping out flesh. Despite the pain, her voice didn't falter._

" _Bell-mere no!" Genzo shouted. They were so close…_

" _I'm sorry Gen-san, but no matter what I do I can never say that I don't have a family. Even if we aren't related by blood, it won't change a thing!" the minute this was said it was too much for the girls. They scrambled out of the bushes and embraced their adopted mother._

" _Girls… it must've been so hard for you to live with me. How I wished that I could buy more of the things that you two wanted. I'm sorry… for not being a better mother for the both of you…" Tears were freely flowing by this point. All that mattered were the two children in her arms._

" _WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT! WE JUST WANT YOU TO STAY WITH US!" Nojiko shouted._

" _PLEASE! I'M SORRY FOR WHAT I SAID BEFORE, WE ONLY WANT YOU, YOU STILL HAVE TO SEE THE MAP I'M GOING TO DRAW!" Nami bawled even harder._

" _A map of the world… that's right, you still have to draw that! Promise me Nami, you'll never let that dream die!"_

" _So… I take it that these 2 are your daughters, correct?" the same malicious voice that arrived that day once again shattered the moment._

" _Yes… Now I said that the 100 000 beri are for the two of them, so don't you dare hurt them." Bell-mere snarled and stared defiantly at the large fishman._

" _Shahaha, of course. You on the other hand, must be dealt with." The girl's eyes widened in horror as the realization of what is to happened dawned._

" _AAAAAHHHHH" Genzo at this point was no longer concerned about anything, he swiftly pulled out two pistols and fired wildly. However, every shot was blocked by a younger Kuroobi's arm fins, who proceeded to deliver long cuts towards the man with twin swords, which will later become his scars._

 _By now, even the villagers made an attempt to fight back. What they got, however, was an absolute beatdown as the difference in physical strength was quickly made apparent. The result was that the Fishmen knocked them around effortlessly._

" _If you can't pay the cash, then you die as an example to all others who cannot pay up." Arlong sneered as a pistol was cocked right at Bell-mere's forehead. "This goes for everyone else under my reign, do you inferiors understand?!"_

 _The former marine swiftly pushed the two girls into the house._

" _Nami… Nojiko…" The 2 girls were praying to all forms of gods that a miracle would happened, just so that none of this was true "… I love you…"_

 _*BANG!_

" _BELL-MERE-SAN!"_

" _Huh, what's this?" Hatchi suddenly picked up a piece of paper; a very specific one "It's a map!"_

" _That's mine! Give it back!" Nami shouted._

" _Is that so? Well it's certainly very impressive! Bring this girl with us, she can be useful to us." Arlong declared._

" _Wait, you promised not to hurt her! We gave you the money!" Genzo shouted._

" _Oh, don't worry, I have much bigger plans for her."_

" _You can't do this!"_

" _Inferior trash… you need to know your place…" Arlong growled and motioned to Kuroobi once again, who proceeded to strike at the man with his powerful blows._

" _Stop! STOP! PLEASE JUST… I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO DIE ANYMORE!" Nami cried out._

 _Later that day, Nami indeed joined the Arlong Pirates claiming that she can have all the money she wants under him and since then she had been his cartographer. The rest of the village were quite surprised by that, it just wasn't right. Arlong soon had control over a chain of islands in the area, and from that day, there was no more peace…_

 **Flashback end**

"She was only 10 at the time, and ever since that day she had to every method she can think of to get money. Do any of you know how tough it is for her?" Nojiko sighed sadly as she finished the story, tears threatening to break.

The crew was completely shell-shocked at this point. Johnny and Yosaku were bawling their eyes out. Sanji, Usopp, and Zoro were wide-eyed at that. Gian, on the other hand, was completely silent with his fists balled up and eyes- were they glowing? - Hard.

"So please, if you want what's best for her, don't interfere in her business any longer. She already has too many things depending on her, and she's too close to her goal for anything to go wrong." Having said that, she excused herself and began walking away.

She hardly got five steps before she felt someone grab her arm. Turning back, she was surprised to see the member of the crew with the spiky black hair – Gian or something like that – that had been smitten with her in the beginning.

"Tell me how to get to Arlong Park… I'm going to burn it to the ground." His voice was deep, and almost… bestial?

"Did you not pay attention or something? Stop trying to help you're only going to make things worse!" she snapped at him.

"I heard you, but let me tell you this, that story doesn't change a thing on how we feel. In fact it only made us want to help her more."

"You're insane… She's trying to protect you guys. Do you really think you guys can defeat Arlong?"

"We won't know until we do it."

"But everything you do is making it harder for her to accomplish what she set out for! Do you even know how you guys have affected her? She used to hate pirates with a passion, but your crew made her second guess herself! If you guys die, then her heart will be shattered!" Nojiko argued.

"Then we won't die, simple as that. I've been close to Death more times than I care to count, and if it's to save a dear friend then I'd love to meet her again. That goes for all of us." Gian replied adamantly.

"You're impossible to talk to…" Nojiko gritted before forcefully walking off, all the while noting that Gian continued to follow her. Deep down she has some growing respect for the group of pirates that are willing to put their lives on the line just for a crewmate, but what can they do? What do they know?

The two continued to argue about what the correct form of action would be. Really Nojiko didn't know why this man was so adamant to begin with. Why he chose to face the chance of death head on instead of heading off to safety is completely beyond her.

"Look, I know you're concerned about her, but seriously there is nothing you guys can do! All you'll bring is more trouble for her!" Nojiko tried to argue once again.

"Well, trouble is my 5th nickname, and for good reason too. Those who hurt the ones close to me get the brunt of it." Gian brushed it off "It's like you guys aren't even taking this seriously!"

"What?! What kind of talk is that?!" Nojiko demanded.

"Think about it, you guys are fine with her going out, risking her life to steal from pirates, and essentially she has a chance to get killed, not even able to complete what she set out to do." Gian scoffed. "She is facing hell every time she leaves here and yet you don't try to help her?"

"You really don't know anything… You have no idea how the rest of the village is feeling about this. Do you think she'll be fine if she hears about Arlong killing all those who are close to her?!" Nojiko shot back "why do you think we're all keeping quiet about our knowledge of this? Why do you think Deimo-san is-" she hastily clamped her mouth shut when she realized she spilt too much information, but it was too late, Gian's eyes widened at the revelation.

"Wait… WHAT?! D-Deimo? Isn't he the ragged guy from that destroyed village?"

Nojiko didn't respond, she was too busy beating herself over such a fallacy.

"Ok… your silence means your confirmation then. Narsha-san already told me not to reveal anything else, so you can at least calm down."

"…alright… if that's the case, then I guess I'll tell you what you else you want to know…"

"Not much really… just how the hell does anybody else know that they're alive?! They told me that nobody knew they were there!" Gian was getting confused.

"Well… the truth is… Deimo-san… has been… *Sigh why don't I just let him explain, we're already at this point." Nojiko hung her head before leading Gian off.

The two walked into the forest, going deeper and deeper before it broke into a clearing; the same clearing where Letchi Village was now a sprawling mess of broken up debris. The minute they walked in, Nojiko is approached by a small boy who ran up and hugged her leg. The blue haired woman smiled and softly stoked his matted hair.

"Bota-kun? You two know each other?" Gian's eyes widened

"I actually used to look after him quite a bit. He's very cute, but after the incident… I'm afraid he forgot how to speak…" Nojiko mumbled.

"I can't believe you know that there's still survivors…" Gian gawked.

"Not just her, but every other villager that's still alive and kicking." Gian whirled around to see the same emaciated, grizzled man walking towards him with his wife and child. Except, while Deimo appeared broken up and depressed in their first encounter, now he carried himself with a much more confident air. The man before him had the posture, gaze and tone of a true mayor and leader. "I apologize for the lukewarm greeting earlier today, with our situation we can't be exactly welcoming with people you know. Allow me to formally introduce myself, the name is Deimo, mayor of the former Letchi Village and former marine lieutenant, and now someone who lives under Arlong's rule, yet does not. Please, make yourself at home, if you can imagine it that way."

"Sorry, Deimo-san, but I spoke too much" Nojiko apologized.

"Don't beat yourself up over it, as you can see, we're already acquainted with each other."

The man then gave Gian a crooked grin, and Gian had no choice but to say the only logical thing that came to his mind.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"

 _Later:_

"So… let me get this straight: you're fanning the flames of resistance from right under the Big Man's nose, with a certain chance to be captured… all because you think this is a way to help Nami?" Gian questioned. Who would've guessed?

By now the other few villagers, along with Nojiko, were all sitting down in the cramped basement. Gian was still mind-boggled at this revelation

"Yes… though right now… we don't exactly have the ability to do anything. We lack resources; Arlong confiscates all weapons and the few that I have in our possession is not enough to do much." Deimo sighed "He also has a few connections with some corrupt marines to make sure any word doesn't get out" the man gritted his teeth in anger when he said this "It sickens me to see some of my former organization stooping to this level."

"Then I'm guessing the whole 'lost your spirit' thing, all that jazz about Nami… That was all fake?" Gian inquired.

"Indeed, that was an act. I do apologize for our behavior earlier though… we've never seen you before and we didn't know if you were going to report our survival to Arlong or not, though I had a feeling you wouldn't."

"Yeah… I still hate you for that" Gian grumbled before getting to the real question "But everything else is still true, right?" he asked skeptically.

"That much, as much as it pains me to think about it, is still true. This village really was demolished roughly 7 years ago." Deimo let out a pained sigh "It was the biggest failure that I've ever had the misfortune to encounter." Nojiko gave a sad smile and tried to comfort him "But instead of breaking me, it only strengthen my resolve to see Nami well off, she has so much to look forward to and I will make sure that it remains that way. If anything happens to her while she's out at sea, I and the remains of Letchi will strike Arlong Park until that Fish kills all of us. We might not last very long, but we'll do it with pride."

"That's what this is all about? That's not even 12% of a plan! It's literally a last resort!"

"When you've lost everything like I have, your mind thinks of interesting things. While Gen-san has a future to look forward to, Letchi Village has nothing left even if Arlong somehow withdraws from here. Even so, Gen-san and the rest of Cocoyasi at the very least knows that they don't want to burden that girl, so if she ever decides to leave, she wouldn't have as many hesitations."

"Wait… how do you know her? You told me that-"

"What I told you wasn't completely off. Nojiko probably already told you about the deal. However… I don't trust that shark. I've got a feeling he's much more devious than Nami thinks he is. As for how I know her…"

"Deimo-san and Bell-mere-san used to be in the same division when they were marines; she was actually his direct superior. Bell-mere-san was also the one who told him and Narsha-san about this place." Nojiko explained for him sadly.

"Ahhh, yes. Those were much simpler times… I still remember her well. Proud, loyal, fierce and trustworthy are only a few of the things I'd use to describe that girl." Deimo sighed "She was always the one pushing us forward, so it came as quite a surprise when she announced that she was retiring early. Even more so when I heard what the reason was."

 **Flashback:**

" _Excuse me? Did I hear that correctly?"_

 _Lieutenant Deimo when he was younger looked much like he did now, except back then he had a much more toned body wearing a beige 2-piece suit (rather than the standard uniform) and a rapier strapped to his hip. His relationship with those around him as well as his good looks have made him quite popular with those under his command. In the past there were even talks of promoting him further, but he wasn't exactly the ambitious type and preferred to simply stop lesser known pirates in the world's weakest sea. Now at the age of 41, he's beginning to thinks he's seen enough action for one lifetime._

 _He has heard some pretty surprising news before, but what came out of his captain's mouth was something he'd never expect._

" _I didn't stutter, did I? I'm resigning, and heading back home." To hear Bell-mere-taisa say something like this was kind of a big deal. She was always the person to give inspiration to everyone under her command, even when the situation is dire, always the last to give up in the worst situations. To see her leave before anyone else does? Impossible!_

" _Don't gawk at me like that! Weren't you thinking about retirement just the other day?"_

" _That's different! I can feel the age coming in my bones right now but you're in your prime! Taisa, you can't just leave like this, the 65_ _th_ _branch would not function without you! You have both the youth and the ability to make it even to Admiral one day!" Deimo tried to protest._

" _Eh, who wants to be cooped up in an office and not get to leave HQ without being ordered to? That's boring. Besides, if you think age is a concern, then maybe you shouldn't retire just yet. After all, Garp-chujo is 60-something right now and he's still breaking heads left and right." Bell-mere brushed him off_

" _Yeah… I can't exactly break mountains with my bare fists so that's out of the questions… But you can still-"_

" _Hey, just stop. I already made up my mind and spoke to the higher ups about this. They've already allowed it" Bell-mere sighed and lit a cigarette, offering one to her subordinate which he accepted "After that battle, something changed in me, it made me make a choice I'd never thought I'd make."_

" _I told you not to send me and the rest of the battalion back, but you didn't listen!" during the battle Bell-mere was talking about it had become incredibly bloody and many people had died. After which Bell-mere literally forced Deimo and a small group of remaining soldiers to leave the island and let her handle the remaining pirates herself, to which the group had vehemently tried to resist but found that she was simply too persuading. When they heard that their captain almost died during that, they were never fuller of regret._

" _Yeah… I heard Narsha-san gave you a ton of flak for that" Bell-mere chuckled "It was that battle that made me find my children; I want to be there for them when they grow up and I can't do that while I'm still here."_

 _Deimo almost dropped his cigarette after he heard that. "K-KIDS?! I thought you weren't married?!" Bell-mere burst into laughter when she saw his face._

" _Ahhh, no they're my adopted daughters. I found them wandering the battlefield after everything had settled, a little girl with an infant. I was almost dead by then, and it was like those girls gave me the strength to keep living. I'm not religious, so I don't know if fate had destined us to meet there, but now I want them in my life more than anything else, no matter what."_

" _I understand, well if that's the case… then you'll have my full support." Deimo mumbled; he'd repeatedly tried to see her with children in his mind before but always failed, she was just too hot-headed and brash to be associated with child care. Still, it was nice to hear something like that, and who knows? It can show that appearances don't matter!_

" _Speaking of which… you and Narsha-san are still looking for a place to retire, are you not?"_

" _Yes we are, there's no one left back at the place I was born and Narsha was born far from here. By now we'd much rather just stay put and spend our days somewhere peaceful."_

" _How about the two of you come with me to my home island? There's not enough place where I live but in the forest there's another village you can settle down in. There's not a lot of people there and the mayor is sick as well, so they'd appreciate some hands." Bell-mere informed them "Anyway, hope to see you guys there! You should still have my vivre card so you can find me that way."_

 _Later:_

" _Bell-mere-san has children? When did that happen?" a younger Narsha at age 39 was currently bringing her husband a cup of coffee. Normally the families of marine soldiers lived in Marineford close to Marine HQ, but Narsha was one of those that would much rather sail with her husband, claiming that "He already relies on me on land, he'll do so even more while at sea." Because of this, she's become quite close with everybody in the 65_ _th_ _divison, and sees Bell-mere as a younger sister._

" _I was surprised when I heard about it too, who knew she'd have kids before us?" Deimo chuckled "Even if they're adopted, come on!"_

" _Well I'm sure she will be a great mom to the two girls. We should both visit them sometimes." Narsha stated._

" _Speaking if which, what do you think of her request?"_

" _Retiring there? I think it's a fantastic idea! We'll be with someone we know and I'm sure we can make a lot of more friends." Narsha said happily._

" _Then it's decided then, we'll go there in 3 days."_

 _Once the lieutenant and his wife resigned from the marines as well, they followed Bell-mere's vivre card to where she said she was. Eventually the two settled in Letchi Village, a larger settlement hidden deep in the forest. The old mayor and the residents there were quickly to get acquainted with them, and when the old mayor passed away he named Deimo his successor. As mayor he made the village even wealthier and was well liked by just about everyone._

 _Of course he and his wife visited Cocoyasi often to visit his old captain, and they would spend the days helping her on her farm and telling Nami and Nojiko stories. When Bota was born, Bell-mere was the first to volunteer with babysitting, stating that "a newborn baby boy must spend time with his godmother as much as possible, and if anyone tries to get ahead of me then they better watch themselves." Nami and Nojiko soon saw the little boy as a brother of their own, and the Deimo likewise saw them akin to his own daughters. Life was good for everybody._

 _One day Deimo was sitting outside his house when Bell-mere strode up to him and threw a thick wad of beri at him._

" _Did you give her this?! Did Nami ask you to buy something for her?!"_

" _Taisa" old habits die hard, even though they were both retired Deimo sometimes still called her by her honorifics despite Bell-mere telling him multiple times there's no need. "She's at the age when she has aspirations. I saw her eyeing that navigation book many times, she really has an interest in that subject and we should support her in that."_

" _Even so, don't just lend us the money, you'll make me think that I can't do anything."_

" _I'm not saying that, but I see your financial situation. You can hardly scrape enough food every month for the 3 of you!" He and his wife had often used one excuse or another, either through Genzo or someone else, to give money to her. Bell-mere turned it down every time, even after hearing that she doesn't have to pay them back. "At the very least think of it as an early birthday gift from us. We missed the last one after all."_

 _That was a lie, and Bell-mere knew it "That's not the point. While I appreciate the gesture, I don't want my daughters to feel indebted to you two. I want her to know that she can get that book on her own with her own abilities. I want her to know that girls can be just as tough as boys in this situation."_

" _That's not what I'm trying to do… It was our pleasure to do it. You know how much Narsha tries to spoil the two of them…" Deimo mumbled._

" _Hehe, I know. But I will get her that book myself, don't you have to give out a thing."_

 _The two stared each other for a bit longer, then Deimo sighed and began picking up the scattered bills. "You really are a stubborn bitch, you know that?" he grunted._

" _Funny, I'd think you were aware of that by now." She grinned back._

 _Indeed, aside from these concerns, both of their lives were pretty happy._

 _But happiness only lasts so long._

" _WHAT HAPPENED TO HER GENZO?! TELL ME GODDAMMIT! WHAT HAPPENED TO TAISA?!"_

 _Genzo, covered in bandages, was shaking under the anxious shouts. Deimo's eyes were wide with fear at what he had heard from the other villagers, while a comforting Narsha was equally anxious._

" _She-S-She's… She's… gone…" Genzo croaked "Killed by Arlong… so that Nami and Nojiko can be saved… she didn't have enough money for all of them…"_

 _Deimo dropped to his knees after hearing that. To him, if there was ever something called an Iron Lady, it would be Bell-mere. If only there had been a few more soldiers along with them, then the two could've probably relived the good ol' days fighting side by side. But she was taken from them all._

" _Where is Arlong now…" he growled. It sounded completely inhuman it even surprised him._

" _He has a base set up… what are you trying to do?!" Genzo whispered as he saw the former lieutenant rise up and stagger back towards his village._

" _Getting my sword… I'm going to run that fish through and ROAST HIM ON A SPIT!" the minute he said this many people tried to stop him, pleading with him not to go on a suicidal run._

" _LET GO OF ME! I'M GOING TO AVENGE MY CAPTAIN!"_

" _Deimo-san! Nami is with them right now! We can't risk her getting hurt!" Dr. Nako tried to warn him._

" _WHAT?! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! YOU TOLD ME SHE'S SAFE!"_

" _She is… but she had to join his crew…" Genzo hissed "Arlong noticed her cartography skills and took her, we only just found out…"_

" _W-Why would she-"_

" _She said Arlong can give her lots of money… that's all. Just don't do anything, they haven't found Letchi Village yet so lay low…"_

 _Deimo almost completely lost focus when hearing that. The girl he'd loved like his own was with a pirate crew now… it just wasn't right... he was seriously hoping this was all a dream._

 _The dream however, only further evolved into a nightmare._

 _Approximately 10 months after the Arlong Pirate's arrival, Letchi Village's location had been revealed to them. At first well-hidden due to the surrounding forest, it wasn't long before a villager informed him that Arlong was currently on his way here._

 _Deimo gritted his teeth; he'd been wanting to have a go at the fishman for a long time now… and due to his former marine upbringing, all 60 villagers of the village shared an equal ideal for justice and would sooner die then let the pirates crackdown on their village. Narsha and a 3 year old Bota were watching from the side, the former with a sad look on his face; Deimo had ordered the women and children to escape before Arlong gets here and try to leave the island in whatever fashion possible, leaving the men of the village to hold the line long enough. As much as she protested, he was adamant on that decision._

" _Why is papa so serious today?" Bota bubbled, not understanding the situation._

" _He's getting ready to go to work…" Narsha gave a forced smile._

" _Villagers of Letchi! For almost a year Arlong has put this island under his dominion. In the beginning we believed that we can escape his eye but now it seems that is no longer possible. But my former captain used to say that pirates who kill innocent people are unforgivable, and against someone like Arlong, you cannot compromise even once! I, and all of you, have already decided that I would not let my family be subjugated by a monster like him! I now speak to you: if anyone has any fear, then leave with your families to safety. Please make sure they are safe in the coming years."_

" _NEVER! WE'LL FIGHT WITH YOU DEIMO-SAN!"_

" _WE'LL NEVER LET ARLONG TAKE A SINGLE BERI FROM THIS VILLAGE!"_

" _Then I will warn you, do not expect to leave this battle alive. The fishmen are many times stronger than us, and they can kill us. But we have our hearts in this village! Our very being is tied to it! And because of that, they will see that even death will ensure that our village will not be Arlong's to control!" Deimo raised his rapier as he stated this. The villagers erupted into cheers._

 _They were cut off by very loud cracking noises._

 _The trees directly behind the village were shaking fiercely, Deimo's eyes widened as he could see trees literally falling._

 _Then a massive object burst out of the surrounding trees, and the most primal of horrors was made known._

 _It was a lobster, except that unlike normal lobsters found around the coast this titan was absolutely massive. Deimo has heard of stories about giants before, and apparently some were even employed by the marines. He estimated this beast to be about the size of 3 giants… and that's not counting its length. The mammoth crustacean's blood red carapace had water streaming off of it in cascades, its entire body was supported by 8 sturdy legs. From down here, its 2 claws can easily level the entire village. The right claw was formed into a blade-like pincer, while the left was mammoth, easily twice the size of the right and bulky as well. Its long antennae flicked every once in a while, while it's black compound eyes surveyed the area._

 _The creature stared at the miniature beings frozen in fear before him before rearing back and delivering a bloodcurdling screech._

 _Then hell was revealed._

 _With a single swing of his spear-claw, the beast impaled several villagers upon it and promptly delivered them to its mandibles. Absolute pandemonium broke loose and villagers were running left and right, a few brave souls decided to fire their rifles at the monster but bullets merely bounced off the creature's iron like shell, peppering the ground around them. Seeing the futility of their attempted attack, the villagers tried to run before being snatched up and devoured as well._

 _Deimo's world had become hell with that one instant. He could only stare hopelessly while the creature was tearing the village apart, and only barely noticed the anguished screams of the villagers._

 _It was the crying of a child that snapped him out of it; his own son had gotten into the path of the monstrous shellfish. With a primal scream, Deimo ran forward and snatched up the boy just as the beast's crushing-claw slammed into the ground beside him, sending him skyward. He landed hard on his back, his vision was beginning to fade. And he could only barely make out his wife desperately dragging him into the forest, and the beast continuing to wreak havoc._

 _That day, Letchi Village disappeared from the map. When Arlong finally arrived, he was greeted to a scene of devastation. Torn up wood and stone littered the field, and even some trees were flattened. The bewildered fishman could just see the monstrous lobster flopping back into the water in the distance, its hunger sated._

 _It was because of this that Arlong made it mandatory to keep guards posted near the creature at all times, as to prevent further sources of tribute to be lost in such a way. On land, he used the village as an example of what happens when a village under his control tries to rebel, a form of retribution if you will. He never once suspected that some of Letchi could be still remain._

 _But remain they did, and this event only further stoked the flames of hatred that Deimo had towards Arlong. He gathered the remaining villagers; of all that had been around that fateful day, only around 10 remained; others had either been devoured or disappeared without a word. Genzo and the rest of Cocoyasi eventually found out that some of the former village was still alive, and promised to keep their secret._

 _Although everyone's hopes were shattered by the event, Deimo told them to remain strong. After all, his former captain was ever the optimist._

" _As long as you're alive here, better days will come, and you can count on many of them…" Deimo whispered an old saying Bell-mere used to say as he surveyed his lost village. An underground sake storage was one of the few areas that remained undamaged, this will serve as their shelter from now on it seems._

" _I will, Bell-mere-taisa, I will always face forward to better days."_

 **Flashback ends**

"That day, I lost everything, my family and my villagers lost everything. Bota-kun lost the ability to talk, all the trauma got to him. But when we found out that Nami was risker her life for her village, we made it our goal to help her as much as possible. We tried giving our remaining money to her to speed her up, but she refused us each time. She got that bit from her mom, definitely. That, and she blames herself for letting this happen to us." Deimo sighed, his eyes shut.

"So that's after that, we decided that we will throw ourselves at Arlong with all we got if we ever get wind of Nami being wronged. I've already failed Bell-mere-taisa in making sure they grow up alright, I will not stand by to see her plans fail!" Deimo shouted.

"Then let us in on this, we want a piece of the fish as much as you guys do." Gian stated.

"What? Why?! Nothing here involves you in any way! Just leave and pretend nothing's happened! This is our fight, and we'll make sure that we have no regrets left!"

"Is that right? You think I can just sit back and watch my crewmate suffer at the hands of a bastard like Arlong? Well listen here, you guys may have your entire livelihood on this island, but those that I care about are in East Blue! Even if Nami buys the village back, he's still going to continue his conquest! And I will not let him do that, not while there's people who will be affected by it should I leave!" Gian gritted.

"Why is that?" Narsha asked.

"My adopted family lives in East Blue. The island they live on may have an irregular magnetic field so that only specific log poses and compasses can lock onto it, but they won't be able to hide forever. Here's something that can be a danger to all of them, and you expect me to just walk away?!" memories of everything he's done with the Ibuki-Jinkawa team flashed through his head; he was not going to let anyone hurt them or take them away. "So I'm not only standing up for my nakama, but I'm also going to make sure this Arlong never reaches those that I care about. How can I even think about leaving, when something that can kill them is right under my sight?!"

Gian's fist tightened "Because when those that are close to you become threatened by danger, IS THAT NOT ENOUGH REASON TO WANT TO PROTECT THEM?!"

Everyone was silent, contemplating what the man just said. Nojiko herself was rather surprised that the person she thought as a mere pirate can have such strong resolve. If he's like this, then how are the rest of them?

" _These pirates… they definitely are not normal pirates, I'm sure of it."_ She thought.

Deimo was about to reply again when suddenly frantic knocking was heard on the door. The group were alerted before they heard a young boy's voice shout.

"Nojiko-san, Nojiko-san! Are you in there?"

"Wait… its Chabo…" Nojiko frowned before opening the trapdoor to reveal a small boy with a green hat wearing an orange jacket "What's wrong?" the boy had been crying for what appears to be some time now, and bursted into tears once again.

"I-it's terrible, Nojiko-san! G-Gen-san, GEN-SAN'S BEEN SHOT!"

 **A/N: Yeah… This whole chapter was mostly just for setting up a tone… Also this chapter is officially the longest one yet, but that's due to having put 2 flashbacks here. I'm probably not going to do that again; depending on one chapter just for the sake of backstory is kind of taxing. I know a lot of you out there was expecting me to do this in the usual 4 chapters, but since Arlong Park is arguably the most important arc of the East Blue Saga that just isn't possible. But what comes after this is definitely gonna be straight up action until the end of the arc, and yes…** _ **that**_ **form is going to been seen.**

 **On another note, we've got some great reviews to respond to! I'm actually gonna be taking 2 of them from chapter 18's because they probably want it answered.**

 **G: Oh! I want to help! I'm good with answers!**

 **Sure let's start then!**

 **To hcharper131:**

… **You… You're not a psychic are you?**

 **G: WHY DO YOU WANT ME TO SUFFER?!**

 **No, that's not it… well guess this doesn't exactly count as spoilers. Yes, the Kaiju-zoan counterpart for Destroyah is going to be a part of Blackbeard's crew. He's not gonna be there initially, but he'll show up at Marineford. As for personality-wise… It's gonna not be that, but you'll be terrified of what he really is capable of.**

 **To lennyface:**

 **What I'm doing here is that all the monsters are in their most recent incarnation, most of the time. Gian's full transformation is what Godzilla would look like in Final Wars, post-timeskip it will be something different. They will have all their powers from every incarnation however.**

 **G: WE LOADED!**

 **By the way, every full transformation is the size of Oars here.**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **G: I have no sentiments!**

 **Yeah we'll see about that. As you see by this chapter, the destroyed village actually do have a small role. Gian will be interacting with them further.**

 **To grimTherapist:**

 **G: You hear that Author-san?! Hurry the fuck up!**

 **I WOULD BUT THIS CHAPTER GOT IN THE WAY. Oh, yeah… it's coming very soon. And yes, most of the time it will be against other Kaiju-zoan users. The Kaiju-zoans will actually have a more central role once we get to the Grand Line.**

 **To Lil'Manuel.G:**

 **G: Don't let PETA hear this!**

 **Peta doesn't care about lobsters… I think.**

 **To Vergil Leonidas:**

 **G: AYYYY! YOUR QUESTIONS ARE AMAZING!**

 **Then why don't you answer it?**

 **G: Nah that's your job.**

 ***for god sake… Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it! Everything is rolling into place now and the fight scenes are gonna start next!**

 **Now to finish this**

 **I'll only do movies and filler arcs that, in my opinion, actually helps with story progression. I got a lot planned out in the form that the story will focus more on Kaiju-zoans and those that ate them in later chapters, and some filler arcs and movies won't have any effect with that. But yes, Film Z and Strong World I'm definitely doing, mostly because it ties into canon really well and that both have well stories in their own right. I hopefully would get to do Film: Gold as well depending on how that turns out. I will make references to those movies though, remember the journal entries?**

 **As of right now, no. I'm not sure how a pet will fit in the crew and actually be important. IF he were to have a pet though I think it'll be a cat. But animals that he likes in general, he'll do something with them. As you'll see soon, Mohmoo will be the start of that.**

 **Gian thinks Chopper is adorable and would find any excuse to hold him. He is also impressed with what he's capable of. Likewise, Chopper sees Gian as a strong fighter and is amazed at the properties of a Kaiju-zoan, so overall their relationship is quite close. However, Chopper will often be exasperated with Gian's disregard of his medical advice due to his healing factor.**

 **To Matt:**

 **G: …is… is this a question…?**

 **No… I don't think it is. But… yeah, there is a new villain (call you even call it that?), and there will be more new villains in the future.**

 **To Zaralann:**

 **Look, I understand you're getting impatient here and I'm trying to get this to that point as quickly as I can humanly type, but I do things slowly. In all fairness we're way too early in the plot to be doing really big changes right now because, face it, none of the changes here save for maybe how they meet crewmembers actually matter jack squat when it comes to later. We have no returning characters yet, so Gian killing them or not really doesn't matter. And yes, there will be people dying in this story, but that's not until we get to the Grand Line, or will it be?**

 **The most I'm doing right now are more minor changes, like having Gian do something in place of someone else and adding in a giant lobster, but that's it. Anything bigger would either feel completely out of place or just be him shoving everyone out of the way and I don't think that's a good idea. I'm also not changing backstory; they are central part of the characters we've come to love and changing them, in my opinion, ruins that. So that's why flashbacks are here the way they are (I might stop doing that if it takes too long but that's another concern altogether.)**

 **But don't worry, the big stuff is happening. But that's gonna take a while. I've mentioned a few times that Kaiju-zoans are going to have a more central-role within the story. But if you're not giving me the time to do so, then you should probably stop reading this story for a bit. Because that won't happen for some time, sorry but things need to be set up first.**

 **G: Now listen here, when you speak my name put some respec on it.**

 **Unrelated to anything I just said but sure, why not?**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **G: MORTAL KOMBATTTTT**

 **You got that right! The actual Kaiju-zoans aren't appearing just yet, but this one will be here in like 2 chapters or something.**

 **G: yeah! We did this!**

 **WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE DID THIS? I ANSWERED EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAID RANDOM SHIT!**

 **G: Hey, my very presence tames them.**

 **What does that- AHHHH forget it. But what we will do, is respond to reviews from this point onward! I think!**

 **So that's it see y'all next time!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will go to space!**

 **G: I'm afraid I can't let you do that!**


	21. Assault against Arlong

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **I forgot to put this in before, but starting from chapter 19 until the end of Arlong Park, this arc now has an opening! Enjoy!**

 **G: Wait? Really? What are you, trying to make an anime out of this or something?**

 **No, I just thought it'll be fun thing to do.**

 **G: well… might as well give it a shot.**

 **(Song name: Uso by SID, You'll know it better as Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood's first ending theme)**

 _Ano hi mita sora, akaneiro no sora no_

 _Nee ~ kimi wa oboeteimasuka_

 ** _(The shot shows a young Gian curled up in his prison back on Punk Hazard, shivering all the while, and slightly looking up fearfully.)_**

 _Yakusoku chigiri shoka ne kaze ga tsutsumu, futari yorisotta_

 ** _(Scene shifts to Gian grown up looking out to sea from Solgell Island, when he turns around and grins at the Ibuki-Jinkawa team waving towards him as the title appears.)_**

 _Muri na, egao no ura, nobita kage wo kakumaru_

 ** _(Gian is now on the Going Merry, he looks down as he saw Luffy and Usopp chasing each other while Zoro, Sanji and Nami gave a more annoyed look. He laughs and leans back towards the mast as screen flashes of Triton and the Red Hair Pirates along with his adopted family is seen.)_**

 _Dakara kizukanu furi, saisei wo erabu._

 _(_ _ **The focus suddenly shifts to Nami, as her face develops a horrified expression as a silhouette of Arlong appears behind her. The scene ends with two red pincers coming down in an X formation, leaving a trail of bubbles that obscures the screen)**_

 _Te-Buru no ue no furuenai shirase, machitsuzukete…_

 ** _(The scene then shifts to the villagers of Cocoyasi Village standing in front of a makeshift grave in what appears to be a vigil, which then cuts to Deimo looking up while holding his sword, and an image of his smiling captain is seen)_**

 _Kuuhaku no yoru mo, kuru hazu no nai asa mo, zenbu wakattetanda_

 ** _(Nami is then seen reaching out a hand with a tear trailing down her face. Johnny, Yosaku along with the villagers from before are seen surprised as the rest of the crew jumps into battle together.)_**

 _Ano hi mita sora, akaneiro no sora no Nee ~ itsuka omoidasu deshou. Hatasenakatta, yakusoku wo idaite, futari arukidasu…_

 ** _(Luffy is seen battling Arlong, with the former swinging Kiribachi around with force while the latter has an angry expression and throwing punches. The next pair to be shown is Zoro and Hatchi clashing swords together, followed by Sanji and Kuroobi trading blows as well, before the scene flashes to Usopp running and dodging water bullets from Chew. Then the scene shows Gian in his partial transformation launching himself at Ebirah, only to be slammed back and hitting the ground hard. However, this is not enough to deter him as he gave a defiant roar and an aura of blue light envelopes him, ending with an explosion and the siloutte of a giant carnivorous dinosaur shaped monster can be seen.)_**

 **Welp… that took a while. Let's actually begin the story now.**

"Gen-san! Where is he now?!" Nojiko cried out. Chabo told her that the mayor of Cocoyasi was still at the village with Dr. Nako checking him over. The two immediately raced towards their village, hoping their mayor was alright.

"It seems something is up. I will go and check it out as well. I hope you consider our conversation. Farewell, Gian-san." Deimo muttered before picking up an old sword sheath; this held his rapier, a weapon that has seen many of his battles.

"It's good to see you again, old pal." He mumbled before following after the two. The rest of the villagers followed after him, having a slight idea of what might happen.

Gian was rather surprised as well, and was about to go after them. When he stepped out the door, he was greeted by the sight of a certain Strawhat captain.

"Oh, hi Gian! Were those your friends?" Luffy greeted "They seemed worried about something."

"Yeah, they had something to take care of. How did you walk this far?" Gian asked.

"I took my time, what happened to this place? Did Arlong get here as well?" Luffy asked.

"Something like that… it's a long story. We should get back to the others and get ready." Gian proposed Luffy nodded and the duo began trekking back towards their crewmates.

 _Meanwhile:_

"GEN-SAN! IS HE ALRIGHT?!" Nojiko screamed as he ran towards a crowd of people. The group parted to show Dr. Nako bandaging up the scarred man. Fortunately for him, the bullet only managed to graze his side and leave a small flesh wound. However, what was hurt was not his body; it went far deeper than that.

"He's fine… nothing was fatal and the wound isn't severe." Dr. Nako assured her.

"Arlong… he's completely unforgivable! How could he do such a thing?!" Genzo gritted his teeth in rage.

"What happened?"

"Deimo-san was right… pirates like him can't be trusted… not at all…" the man growled again "he sent a marine captain and stole all of Nami's stashed money… he never intended for Nami to buy the village back, because he's never going to let her go!"

"W-what?!"

"IS THAT TRUE?! IS WHAT YOU SAID REAL?!" the villagers of Cocoyasi turned to see Deimo leading his small band of villagers walking towards them, rage evident on their faces.

"I had a feeling that was what happened. I can never trust anything that bastard proposed…" Deimo snarled, before drawing his sword "Well then, survivors of Letchi Village! You all know what this will lead to!" the remaining villagers, even Narsha yelled in agreement "It's time to honor our promise!"

Narsha then led her son to Nojiko, it pains her to do what she was about to do, but it needs to be done.

"Nojiko, I have to leave now… so will you please take our son in? It's the only way that he will have anything close to a family member." She mumbled sadly.

"Narsha-san…" Nojiko stammered, before shutting her eyes "I'm sorry Narsha-san… but I can't do that."

"Nojiko…"

The blue haired woman's eyes then shot open, and there was billowing flame of rage "Because I'm going after that bastard as well!"

"That goes for me too!"

"Same here!"

"We won't let Nami's hard work get tarnished like this!"

All the villagers of Cocoyasi had the same sentiment.

"You guys…" Deimo uttered.

"You know… I used to think we could've settled this peacefully" Genzo growled "As long as we don't burden Nami with anything and pretended we didn't know her plan… that would be fine as long as she succeeds… BUT NOW I SEE HOW FOOLISH THAT BELIEF WAS! I'M COMING WITH YOU DEIMO! AND DON'T YOU DARE SAY THIS IS YOUR IDEA ALONE!"

Deimo then clasped the other man's shoulders "Your belief wasn't foolish… you did what you thought was right and that's all that matters. But now, there's only one thing left to do."

"Aye…" Genzo snarled before rising up to address his village.

"Villagers of Cocoyasi! For 8 years we've endured Arlong's rule simply because of our bond with Nami! As long as she was fine, nothing that the pirates did to us mattered! But after all she's done, this is the answer they gave us! Now we have nothing to lose, and there's no way in hell I'm going to forgive what they've done! Does anyone have anything to say?!" the mayor shouted.

"NOTHING, GEN-SAN! WE'LL FIGHT ALONGSIDE THE TWO OF YOU!" all the villagers coursed.

"Then let us go to Arlong Park, we'll show those fishmen that you can't just put us down like this!" Deimo roared and everyone was about to leave when:

"EVERYONE, STOP!"

* * *

Nami had shown up, she had clearly ran here with her labored breathing and light sheen of sweat. In just the past few moments, her entire world was crumbling. That corrupted marine Nezumi had taken all of her 93 million beri, an amount that took her almost 8 years to gather. When she tried to stop him by force, the rat-like bastard remorselessly tried to shoot her, only for Genzo to block it with his body.

It was because of this that she finally suspected that Arlong was behind this, and the truth couldn't be harsher when she tried to confront him…

" _All of your money was taken away? That isn't my problem. The deal was 100 million beri, if I don't see it then don't even hope for the freedom of your village! Shahahaha! But that's not a problem for you now is it? After all, you can just steal it again! Or you can run away. But if you do, then you know what happens! Shahahaha!"_

What made this all worse was the fact that the entire village knew all along. But she can't abandon the very people she's doing this for.

"Please guys! Don't do this, I can get the money back again! I just need to find more pirates to steal from!" She tried to reason "Don't worry about me! I will be fine!" But by this point the villagers have had enough.

"Nami… you don't have to say anything else" Genzo mumbled "We know the pain you've suffered under the hands of that monster, and we're not going to sit by and just watch it happen. Please, now it's the chance for you to leave."

"W-what?"

"Everybody let's go!"

"No! Please trust me here! I can- Deimo-san!" She called out to the former lieutenant "You said you have 125 million beri left right? C-Can I just lend 100 million of it! I-I promise I'll pay you back as soon as-"

"I would love nothing more than to give you all of our remaining money" Deimo sighed "But I'm sure at this point… you know that it would do no good just as well as everybody else." Nami's eyes widened; it was true, there was simply no way that Arlong would relinquish control over his territories; he has grown way too fond of power to do that.

"So, leave this village, go and follow your dream. Live for all of us." Deimo stated. The rest of the villagers all chorused in agreement.

"You can't! I-I won't let you!" Nami screamed as she drew a knife and shakily raised it up in a desperate attempt to not let the very people she loved run to their deaths. "P-please… I just don't want anyone to die anymore…" tears were actively flowing down her face at this point; she's never felt so useless before in her life…

Suddenly Deimo grabbed her arm… and plunged the knife into his own shoulder. Nami's eyes widened at the display, but he can see the man was crying as well.

"A knife wound like this… normally would be very painful… isn't it?" he hoarsely whispered "How strange it is then, that I can't feel a single thing. I'm so sorry Nami… I, as Bell-mere-taisa's subordinate, can't even protect her own children from suffering under her oppressor. I've failed back then, I will not fail to see her child live a life separate from all this pain and hardship!" he shouted these last words out.

"Step out of the way Nami!" Nojiko stated "We're going."

"Villagers! Show those fishmen our pride!" Genzo shouted before everyone marched past the stunned girl.

Nami can only watch helplessly as the knife clattered to the ground and the people growing further away.

" _Shahahaha!"_

The mocking cackle of Arlong filled her heard, her face contorted into one of fury as she glared at the Arlong Pirates insignia on her shoulder. It tainted her entire body; how she wishes she can just tear it away!

 ** _"Shahahaha!"_**

Wordlessly she picked up the knife and pointed it towards the tattoo. Then with all her might, she rammed the tip into it.

" ** _SHAHAHAHA!"_**

"Arlong… Arlong…! Her voice grew louder, angrier with every stab; the knife getting more bloody with every strike, "Arlong! Arlong! ARLONG! ARLONG! **ARLONG! AR-!"**

Her attempts at self-mutilation was brought to an abrupt stop when a hand grasped her hand gently, yet forcefully. She turned back to see none other than Monkey D. Luffy stopping her, a blank expression on her face. Further away, she can see Gian, Zoro, Sanji and Usopp waiting for the cue on what to do next.

"Luffy…" she mumbled, before her expression hardened "What are you still doing here?! Do you even have a clue about what is happening?!"

"No, I don't." The boy stated matter-of-factly

"Then why are you still here?! Didn't I tell you to get lost?! GO AWAY! GO AWAY! GO AWAY!" she screamed each word out, her hand clawing at the dirt below her as her voice cracked with every rejection. Her entire body was shaking at this point. It got to the point where she completely stopped and poured all her pain out, all her burdens out with her tears.

Then… it came out. The lightest of pleas, very simple and yearning, but one that the entire crew will take most seriously to heart.

"Luffy… **Help me** _…"_

* * *

The stillness was so compacted that one can hear a pin drop, but then Nami felt something plant itself onto her head. It was Luffy's strawhat.

"YOU BET I WILL!" the boy shouted to the heavens.

Nami's eyes widened as she remembered what Luffy said about the strawhat, how much importance it meant to him.

"Luffy…"

"Now isn't this all better? Letting out all your pain to those that are close to you?" Nami's gaze turned to Gian as he stood up, his eyes are the familiar color of amber that takes over whenever he's about to fight. However, her eyes widened further and she stifled a gasp when she caught a glimpse of a sixth figure among the crew, except this one was not human; it was the gigantic translucent visage of a giant dinosaur shaped creature appearing behind Gian. She only caught a glimpse of it for a moment before it disappears from sight, but from the Kaiju-zoan user she felt a wave of energy that made the wind billow and made her heart pound rapidly. If she didn't know who he was, she could've sworn she felt visibly intimidated.

* * *

Clearly she was not the only one who felt it as Zoro and Sanji turned towards the man with their eyebrows raised slightly, while Usopp couldn't help but yelp out. A few distances away, the villagers of Cocoyasi and Letchi also turned back their heads; it was as if something fearsome had appeared on their island and they can feel it even here.

* * *

Even further, the Arlong Pirates sitting within their base also noted something was wrong with the air, Arlong frowned at this; he didn't know what, but something big was going to happen.

* * *

Miles away, far below the waves, the giant crustacean Ebirah was jolted awake by a mysterious disturbance within his atmosphere. Ebirah is a simple-minded creature; it's only concern is to kill and feed. But just then, it felt like something had challenged it.

And believe it or not, for the first time, Ebirah actually felt afraid as it let out a startled screech.

* * *

Back with the crew, Luffy felt the intimidating aura as well, but thought nothing of it. It seems like his nakama had some other secret abilities!

"Don't worry Nami, by the end of the day, Arlong Park will be torn to the ground." Gian assured her; he could feel the foreign energy resonating from him as well, and it felt great, making him feel more confident. He feels as if he can tear entire islands apart.

Luffy's normally smiling face is now dead serious as he began to walk out the village.

"Let's go!"

"Right!"

Nami watched as the 5 grew smaller and smaller into the distance. Those 5 who have only one goal in mind: to save their friend.

 _Meanwhile:_

"Get out of our way! We're here for Arlong!" Genzo snapped to two people sitting in front of the door to the fishman's base of operations. Both men were beaten up with bruises covering their bodies; it was none other than Johnny and Yosaku, and they had just clashed with Arlong moments before.

"Do you know what happened to us? Well, after we found out the truth the two of us decided to fight Arlong in order to regain Nami-aneki's honor." Johnny stated.

"However, as you can see, we lost." Yosaku added.

"So forgive us for being blunt, but we aren't moving for you guys. The two of us are bounty hunters and even we were defeated. There's not a chance that you can win." Johnny scoffed.

"That's isn't going to stop us! This is-" Deimo growled before Yosaku interrupted again.

"Yeah, you guys just sit tight. We're going to hold the door open for those guys to come."

"Those guys?" Deimo questioned.

"Indeed, those guys will definitely show up, in fact there they are!" both swordsmen announced gladly.

All the people turned around to see 5 people walking closer to Arlong Park. Luffy's face was blank as he strode forward, while Zoro gripped Wado Ichimonji tightly. Sanji walked along briskly with his hands in his pockets while Gian was beside him, eyes still the shade of amber color. Even Usopp no longer looked fearful as he walked alongside his 4 nakama.

The 5 pirates gave off one of the most dominating auras one could ever imagine. If the devil himself was here, even he would be intimidated beyond belief.

"Them…" Nojiko mumbled.

"So, Gian-san was serious…" Narsha whispered.

"Remember the faces of the 5 that appear before you, because they're the ones that will change the future!" the two swordsmen grinned confidently.

"And how do you know that?" Genzo asked.

"We don't, we're just betting our lives on it. If those guys fail, then not just this island, but all of East Blue will fall."

"Move." Luffy stated once he got to the gate the villagers were around. The two swordsmen gladly sidestepped out of the way.

Inside, Arlong was too busy gloating when suddenly…

 ***BANG! *BANG! *CRACCCK!"**

The entire door was shattered to pieces, Arlong's eyes widened as the dust cleared and he could make out a young human boy with his fists cocked back. For a human to have such strength? Is it even possible?

Then the boy raised his head and his eyes were glaring daggers at everybody inside.

"Which one's Arlong?" he asked.

"I am Arlong, who are you supposed to be?" The fishman addressed this daring stranger.

"I'm Luffy, I'm a pirate."

"A pirate? What business does a pirate have with me?" Arlong growled. He didn't get a reply, instead Luffy dashed forwards and landed a powerful punch on his face. The force was so powerful the massive fishman was sent flying into the wall on the other side of the Park.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Arlong shouted as he recovered.

"YOU MADE MY NAVIGATOR CRY!" Luffy yelled, fury in his eyes as he remembered the tears that were shed by the orange haired girl.

"How dare you attack Arlong-san?!" A group of fishmen launched themselves at Luffy, however they never got the chance to land any hits as an azure ray of heat and light tore up the ground where they stood, knocking them up into the air. Luffy simply stared forwards as the resulting explosions made his hair whip around furiously.

"That, my friends is the rule of nature. Don't go interrupting people while they're having discussions or you'll end up being flame-broiled!" Gian scoffed as he stepped forwards as well, with Sanji and Zoro following him. Usopp was trailing a bit more behind.

"You're awful, Gian! You could've at least saved some for us!" Zoro complained.

"From the looks of it, there should be plenty more." The kaiju-zoan user replied.

"There better be."

"Um… you guys can take em' all!" Usopp requested.

"But then it wouldn't be even now would it?" Gian asked back.

"Ahhh… I don't mind that!"

"NYUUU?! That's him! The swordsman that tricked me!" Hatchi suddenly recognized some of the people "And this kid is the one that was taking walks!" he pointed at Luffy.

"Zoro… what did you do this time?" Gian sighed.

"Nothing, I just told him to give me a ride and he did."

"…Well, they always say that public transportation has been failing in the service field these days…"

"Hey! That's the long-nosed guy! Didn't Nami kill him?" another fishman noticed Usopp, the sniper gave a panicked yelp when he saw that he's been recognized.

"So he's alive then, then it was as I suspected! That woman is nothing but a traitor!" Kuroobi growled.

Arlong gave a toothy sneer after he got back up "So… you guys are her crewmates you say? Well, color me surprised I figured you were just some people she stole from. But it doesn't matter; you are just a bunch of inferior humans who don't know the difference between our species" The large fishman cracked his knuckles "You'll know the strength of fishmen soon enough."

"Nyu, You fools really think you can stand up to Arlong-san?" Hatchi scoffed "He won't even need to fight this time around! Come on out Mohmoo!"

Suddenly the sea began to churn. The villagers of Cocoyasi were beginning to panic; Mohmoo singlehandedly overturned Gosa Village in just 10 minutes. A large monster like that is gonna spell trouble for the 5 pirates. The Letchi villagers were also slightly worried. Even though Mohmoo is nowhere near as monstrous as the giant crustacean that crushed Letchi Village, it's still a large creature with above average strength.

And as expected, the large sea cow rose out of the waves and swam through the gate.

"All right, Mohmoo! Go straight ahead and have yourself a banquet!" the octopus fishman pointed towards the five pirates.

"Hey, look who it is! It's the cow!" Gian noted.

"So it was under the control of the fishmen. Wonder if it remembers us." Sanji mumbled.

"Hi, cow! Remember me?" Luffy called out.

"Waaah?! Nojiko told me about it! That thing uprooted houses in a nearby village!" Usopp screamed.

"Is that right?! Now why would you do that?!" Gian scolded the large animal, who by now had bigger eyes due to recognizing 3 specific individuals that made it tow their boat "People live in those houses, you know that?!"

The sea cow dipped his head slightly; it had a feeling that this confrontation would happen eventually… but the man currently berating it had been the first to treat it as anything other than a slave, well with the exception of Hatchi but that octopus was always the odd one out compare to the rest of his crew. Still, actually having to fight him?

"Nyu? Oi Mohmoo! Why are you not attacking?" the octopus questioned. "Don't act like this? You're going to make me look bad!" but the large animal still was rather hesitant.

"Don't bother with him Hatchi if he isn't going to fight, then there's nothing we can do now… _is there?"_ Arlong's comment was a thinly-veiled threat and even something as simple minded as the large sea bovine can interpret. Because of this, Mohmoo decided that Arlong was the one that he'd much rather not piss off and might as well endure some pain.

The cow's face turned from one of meekness to that of an ocean predator, it opened its toothed mouth and let out a loud bellow, then charged at the 5 people.

"IT'S COMING! IT'S GOING TO EAT US!" Usopp wept.

"To have to fight something that big…" Zoro gritted as he and Sanji were prepared to face the attack.

"Alright… that's it! I don't care if it's mad cow disease that you got or whatever but you need to calm down, **NOW!"**

When Gian's voice fell, the wind suddenly began whipping up again, enough to make the sea cow snap out of its rage-induced fit and made it blink dumbly.

Then it's eyes widened, this time in fear and shock, because standing behind the Kaiju-zoan user was the veiled image of a large monster.

It only appeared for a millisecond, but that was enough for cold fear to enter its heart. This is someone that can be gentle, but make him mad and you'll face the consequence.

Whatever the case, Mohmoo was no longer in the mood for any attacking. It meekly dipped its head and whimpered slightly.

"W-what did you do?!" Hatchi yelled.

"What? All I did was be a little assertive. It's how you tame animals." Gian shrugged.

"…you mean you don't even know what you did?" Zoro questioned. Everybody within Arlong Park had experienced the spectacle. The underlings of Arlong felt an uneasy feeling, along with some of the officers. Even Arlong was visibly shocked at what he'd just witnesses. As for the crew, Usopp was borderline almost passed out while Zoro and Sanji and Luffy were wide-eyed at the scene; they didn't get a good look back then, but now they sort of understand what was going on.

Gian could possibly unleash the monster inside him.

"Of course I do… I just rose my voice and it felt the need to stop its tantrum." Gian tipped his head to the side, what is everyone getting so worked up about?

"Speaking of which, the big guy looks a lot cuter now that he isn't roaring in our face." Gian gave the sea cow a much gentler smile, and held out his hand. "Remember, I told you I'm not going to hurt you, right?"

The cow let out a groan.

"Thought so! Now have a little faith in us. I know you despise working under these fishmen as much as our navigator does, or at least I think you do. So maybe have a little choice in your life, am I right?"

Mohmoo tilted its head; for a long time it followed Arlong blindly, doing his bidding whenever the fishman told it to do something. But in reality, a sea cow is not a very hostile creature, and forcibly harming anything without being provoked first is something that Mohmoo rather hates. If it can get out of such a life…

It needed no more thinking, Mohmoo lowered its head and allowed the man to stroke it comfortably behind the horns.

"There you go, aren't we just a gentle giant?" Gian crooned while petting the giant animal, to the shock of many onlookers.

"Incredible… the sea cow isn't showing any more hostility!" Genzo mumbled.

"Gian-aniki can tame animals!" Johnny grinned.

"Who would've guessed…?" Deimo was as surprised as they were.

"Well, we might be able to get it to pull our ship more!" Sanji joked.

"Hey cow! Do you remember me?" Luffy asked while waving at the large animal. Mohmoo's eyes widened and scooted away when it recognized the boy who punched him, making Luffy pout.

"Yeah… that'll take some time to adapt." Gian sighed.

"MOHMOO! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?!" Hatchi whined.

"Grr… I have no use for an animal that doesn't even listen to my command. Do I have to end you as well as these humans?!" Arlong snarled at the display, while a number of fishmen began advancing towards them.

"Oh yeah… you're still here…" Gian snarled, then an idea popped up in his head "Hey big fella, do you mind getting rid of some of those small-fry for us? We grownups got other things to discuss with each other!"

Mohmoo gave one look at the advancing fishmen before giving off a bellow and slamming its head down towards them. The surprised fishmen were knocked around, dazed in an instant. Those who weren't unconscious immediately fled the scene whilst screaming their heads off, Mohmoo chasing them all the way.

"Great, no more interruptions!" Gian grinned.

"I'll punish that animal later! Right now, the 5 of you die!" Arlong snarled and moved to advance, but was blocked by his 3 officers.

"Arlong-san… there's no need for you to step in." Kuroobi declared.

"We wouldn't want Arlong Park to be turned to rubble from your rage now, would we, chu?" Chew affirmed.

"Nyahahaha! We'll finish this in no time!" Hatchi rubbed his 6 arms together.

"Heh, alright. Do whatever you want to them." Arlong nodded.

"Hey!" Luffy shouted "I didn't come here to fight a bunch of underlings, I came to beat you up!" but the large fishman ignored him, however hard it was.

"Don't worry Luffy, we'll be facing these 3." Sanji retorted "I've been dying to teach these lowlifes a thing or two about hurting ladies."

"Is that what this is all about? You came here for her?" Kuroobi sneered "How pathetic."

"You better watch your mouth, fish" Sanji glared "Or I'll cook you in a pan and fry you into fish and chips!"

"Look at this pirate defending his lady. I will admit you are stronger than others of your kind, but putting such chivalry on the line means your strength is still low. It appears I will have to teach you just how far apart the fishmen are from you!"

"Bring it, I'll show you just how 'low' my chivalry is."

"In that case, I'll be taking the octopus." Zoro unsheathed Wado Ichomonji, which Hatchi readily complied.

"Nyu! I still haven't paid you back for tricking me earlier!"

"Y-yeah! Everyone has an opponent! We're all happy!" Usopp breathed a sigh of relief; he doesn't have to fight anyone! How fortunate!

"Chu, what are you so happy about?!" that voice made Usopp snap out of his relief instantly.

"Guess I'll take out my rage on you, long nose! Think of it as retribution for escaping us earlier!" Chew sneered at the sniper.

"WHAAAA?! Why not pick Gian?! He's ready to fight!" Usopp panicked.

"Why him, when you're already here?" Chew snickered before taking another step closer.

"GOODBYE!" Usopp screamed before bolting away. Chew immediately followed, shouting profanity on how he should stand still. Momentarily the trumpetfish fishman noticed the villagers massing in front of Arlong Park and was about to question them before getting hit by a flaming projectile from a bravado influenced Usopp. This resulted in another chase.

"Hmmm… he does bring up a good point… there's no one left for me to fight…" Gian sighed "What to do? Hey Luffy? How about we double team Arlong for a bit?"

Arlong was about to brace himself when a panting fishman shot out of the water and dashed up to him out of breath.

"A-Arlong-san! Something big is happening! E-Ebirah… is swimming towards Arlong Park!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Arlong roared, Ebirah's appearance could be very problematic for his base. If the large crustacean goes berserk then Arlong Park would no longer be standing! Why on earth is it suddenly coming here? "Aren't you supposed to be watching it?!"

"We-We were! But it completely ignored us and just kept swimming towards here!"

The panic was not only limited to Arlong, his two present officers also felt cold sweat emerging on their backs when hearing the news. At the entrance, the villagers of Cocoyasi were nervously whispering to each other. They've witnessed many times that Ebirah has smashed boats that sailed too close to the island like wet sticks, and know just how dangerous it is.

But most effected was the 10 people from Letchi, who were almost hyperventilating at seeing the giant beast that destroyed their livelihood.

"We need to leave… now!" Deimo snapped

"What? Why are we leaving?" Johnny and Yosaku wondered.

"Trust me, you don't want to be in its path when it comes, we have to-"

"IT'S HERE!" Tutter's frantic shout alerted him.

From their angle, the villagers could see a large bow wave steadily making its way towards the stronghold. Then the wave broke, revealing a massive red tail as the creature appeared to dive deep into the water.

" _So that's Ebirah…"_ Gian frowned. Hearing about it in the story and actually seeing it in person are two completely different things " _This could be bad… we don't-!"_

Whatever thought that was about to pop up never got the chance to be revealed as a massive claw shot out of the water in front of them and slammed down, sending a large cloud of dust up and obscuring everything.

"What the hell just happened?" Luffy's dazed shout sounded through the dusty veil.

"Everyone accounted for?" Zoro groaned. By now the dust is beginning to settle and some visibility can be experienced again.

"Yeah, I'm just- wait, Where is-?" Sanji suddenly noticed something was missing.

"Oh no! Gian-san!" Narsha shouted as she pointed forward, when everybody else's eyes followed, they were shocked to see a massive lobster clenching its left claw hard around the legs of said kaiju-zoan eater. The area that the claw previously gouged into was now nothing more than a heap of rubble.

"AAAAARGGGGH!" Gian screamed in pain as he could feel the bones in his legs cracking under the force. He was brought face to face with the mammoth lobster as he tried to dislodge himself. "Let me go you piece of sea-"

Whatever he was about to say was drowned out when Ebirah violently threw him backwards towards the open sea. Gian landed about 1000 yards out with a rough splash as he felt his strength instantly disappear and he helplessly sank.

With a howl the massive shrimp turned and made a beeline towards the downed Kaiju-zoan user. Everybody was wide-eyed and beyond shocked by the sudden display.

"Gian-san! No!" Deimo shouted.

"D-did Ebirah target him specifically?" Genzo whispered in horror "Why?!"

"Gian-aniki!" Johnny and Yosaku shouted in horror

"Crap… he can't swim!" Zoro gritted.

"Shahahaha!" Arlong cackled as he and his officers regained their composure first; he was worried about the reason that Ebirah had turned up to Arlong Park for, but it seems that is resolved now. "That's one less pest to worry about!"

"Nyu… Ebirah almost killed us too…" Hatchi whimpered.

"Dammit… how is he going to-" Sanji watched helplessly, before suddenly noticing a certain ray fishman barreling towards him.

"Don't bother, he's dead." Kuroobi sneered "And soon, you will be as well!" before Sanji can do anything, Kuroobi tackled into him, the force sending both of them into the water.

"Sanji!" Luffy cried out; two of his nakama were now in the water, their lives uncertain.

"Do you still think you can defeat me?!" Arlong shouted and raised his arms "that blond will soon know the true strength of the fishmen now that he's underwater. And as for the other, I give about 3 minutes before Ebirah devours him!" Luffy can only give an angry glare at this.

"So now do you understand?! Just how far apart we are?! Because this is the true power of fishmen! **SHAHAHAHA!"**

 **A/N: And done! We're going back to canon material for a bit now, really couldn't make this play out any more differently considering this scene is like** ** _the_** **turning point for One Piece all together. But as you can see, Luffy doesn't get thrown into the water this time around. Also I revealed a new power that is specific to Kaiju-zoans, which we'll go into more detail in the coming chapters. Gian right now is not aware of what it is, but come closer to around Marineford he'll have more of an idea of it. And no, it is not haoshoku haki.**

 **G: Why are you always putting me in the worst situations?!**

 **Because it strengthens your inner strength**

 **G: That made no sense!**

 **Live with it.**

 **Responses to reviews!**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!**

 **G: we aim to please in many ways!**

 **Please don't be a sex joke…**

 **G: Like giving h-**

 **NO!**

 **To Matt:**

 **G: Who the fuck is Ace?**

 **Someone really important**

 **G: And I should care because?**

 **You'll know when you see him, but that's not until wayyyy later.**

 **G: Why are you so slow?!**

 **Because I'm not a made up character and I have other things to attend to, now shut up.**

 **But there will be a Kaiju-zoan user in Whitebeard's crew, that you can be certain of.**

 **To Zaralann:**

 **Again completely understandable, still doesn't change anything I've said before though. This story is supposed to be Gian focused, but in the case that he has his own encounters and experiences alongside all of the crew, not how he's supposed to change the One Piece universe. Eventually they're gonna be dragged into a plot about Kaiju-zoan altogether.**

 **G: RESPEC! PUT SOME RESPEC ON MY NAME!**

 **Can we just drop the Birdman meme?**

 **To Vergil Leonidas:**

 **G: OOOOHHH WE GOT SHOOTERS!**

 **I'm not even gonna respond to that…**

 **But I'm glad you enjoyed this! I often see to that the OCs I create, and those coming later, will be more integrated into the plot as seamlessly as I possibly can. Also no need to worry, I'm gonna keep all that in mind.**

 **And there we go! Also thank you all for giving this story over 100 favorites! We'll see you next time!**

 **G: TRIPLE THREAT BITCHES!**

 **Leave a review or Gian will never taste fried chicken again!**

 **G: NO! I'VE FAILED YOU COLONEL!**


	22. Begin our Retaliation!

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **(Opening 1: Uso by SID)**

" _I'm falling… Falling so slowly…"_

Gian was absolutely powerless right now, the inhibitions of the cold sea draining him of strength and rendering him incapable of movement. It's strange how the sea does this to him, considering that he and the Ibuki-Jinkawa team go to the beach on Solgell whenever they can.

Oh wait, those times it was Goro, Rokuro and Hiroshi swimming in the water while he was wading in the shallows or clinging to a safety tube…

" _So this is what drowning feels like… Triton-senpai really nailed it with that description…"_

Don't get him wrong, he realized a long time ago just how important his Devil Fruit can become. But in moments like this, it really made him wish that he never had it.

In the distance he could see a large red shape moving steadily towards him; it seems Ebirah likes toying with its prey, either that or it just wanted to see him suffer before it eats him.

" _Lord… in my next life, make sure either lobsters become extinct, or the ocean dries up."_

His lungs were beginning to tighten; soon he will no longer be able to hold his breath. Black lines were dotting the edges of his vision; he really is going to drown, isn't he?

Ebirah was getting closer; it wanted to savor this kill. It was sure that the vile pulses of energy that it felt earlier resonated from this human. It wanted to tear the human apart with its claws and soon it \will have its chance.

" _Ugh… which would be worse? Eaten alive or drowning? Goddammit! I'm not supposed to die here! There's still so many things I need to do! I have to become the world's strongest Kaiju-zoan user! I still need to see Dr. Vegapunk and tell him I no longer need my Devil Fruit removed!_

" _I CAN'T DIE!"_

But his frantic thoughts meant nothing as Ebirah reached out and was just about to clamp around him with its massive claws.

It was then, that he felt himself getting lifted. The surface of the water seemed to be getting closer. Further away he could glimpse Ebirah howling in fury as its kill was taken away from it.

Then the surface of the water broke, and Gian immediately took the deepest breath he could. He was on his knees, every breath took was sweeter than the last.

Giving himself a look-over, he noticed that the bones in his legs have already healed; however this came at a price. His left Seismic Tread was crushed into an unusable state.

He looked down. Waterlogged furry skin, green spots, HORNS?! This must mean-

"MOHMOO!"

The sea cow mooed a greeting back as it carefully balanced the kaiju-zoan eater on its head.

"You saved me! I'm alive! HA! SCREW YOU GOD, NOT TODAY BITCH!" he cackled as he thanked his good fortune.

* * *

 _Meanwhile:_

"We need to help him! Get me a boat!" Deimo shouted as he tried to rush off only to be held down by some of his villagers.

"We can't do anything! By now he's probably sunk too far to reach!" Narsha said bitterly. She wanted to save him too, but there was nothing they could do.

"He sank like a rock! He's helpless right now!" Nojiko shouted.

"Gian-aniki ate a devil fruit, and people who eat those are anchors when they hit water…" Yosaku gritted painfully.

"Then is there nothing we can do?" Johnny yelled.

"Hold on… THERE! LOOK!" Tutter suddenly pointed.

The villagers all had wide eyes when the saw the man emerge on the back of another animal.

"My word… he really did tame the sea cow…" Genzo muttered in awe.

"YEAH! GIAN-ANIKI!"

Soon everybody noticed.

"Gian made it! Gian made it!" Luffy cheered.

"Heh, he has to be part cat, 9 lives and all!" Zoro grinned.

"So he survived… well it doesn't matter! Even if that treacherous animal helps him they'll both fall prey to Ebirah!" Arlong growled.

* * *

Beside them, Deimo's relief was also cut short.

"He may be alive… but Ebirah won't just give up like that…

* * *

Back with Gian, the troubles were not over. Because right behind them Ebirah broke the surface as well, and one look made him realize just what he was up against.

"Moo…." Mohmoo's eyes were terrified and it was sweating buckets.

"Mother that I've never known… why is a lobster this freaking big?!" Gian squeaked.

The problem being, Ebirah was at least 5 times bigger than Mohmoo.

The giant lobster towered over his potential prey. It let out a primal howl as it raised its left claw to crush them.

"COW! SWIM FOR IT!" Mohmoo needed no more motivation as it immediately bolted, seconds before the massive claw slammed into the sea, sending out a massive cloud of surf. The shrimp screeched before giving chase.

"They're heading towards… LETCHI!" Deimo suddenly realized, he and the rest of Letchi Village immediately ran towards the now destroyed village.

 _Meanwhile:_

" **Gomu-Gomu no… Muchi!"** Luffy whipped his leg around, slamming Arlong to the wall.

" **Gomu-Gomu no… Gatling!"** The blow was followed by multiple punches, all slamming into the large fishman with high speed. One final puch sent Arlong doubling over, crushing rubble beneath him.

However, it was nowhere near enough.

"Did you do something there?" Arlong sneered as he straightened himself up.

"THOSE ATTACKS DIDN'T DO ANYTHING?!" Johnny and Yosaku screamed.

"Nope! I'm just getting warmed up." Luffy muttered as he cracked his knuckles.

* * *

While this is happening, Zoro was beginning his fight as well.

"Nyu! Ebirah may have not killed that man yet, but he will! In the meantime I'll have my fun with you!" Hachi cheered.

"Bring it, you octopus! I'll finish you off in 5 seconds!" Zoro snapped and rushed at him.

" **Shikai Zero: Takohachi Black!"** jet black ink shot out of the octopus fishman's mouth in a wide cone. Zoro narrowly managed to jump aside as he brought Wado Ichimonji down in a sweeping slash.

Hachi ducked under the cut, albeit losing some hair in the process. Zoro went for another swing, this time a vertical downslash.

"That won't work! **Tako San Ren Shin Ken Shira Ha Dori!"**

What sounded like a powerful counter technique was merely Hachi clapping his six hands together in an attempt to try to intercept the sword. However… he was a fraction too late.

"AHHH MY FACE!"

"Stop messing around!" Zoro growled as he prepared another slash. However at this point he suddenly felt disorientated and he fell to his knees.

" _Dammit… of all the times…"_

"Oh no! Zoro-aniki's wound is opening up!" Johnny and Yosaku shouted worriedly. Indeed, Zoro's chest wound was beginning to bleed again.

"What do you mean?" Genzo asked them.

"Before we came here, Zoro-aniki had an encounter with 'Hawk Eyes' Mihawk. He left him with a massive cut in the chest. It's clear that it's acting up again!"

"What?!"

"Nyu!" Hachi suddenly began climbing up a pillar and disappeared into a room. Moments later he emerged again, this time with 6 large cutlasses in each hand.

"Behold! There is no way for you to defeat me now! I am the second strongest swordsman in all of Fishman Island! Now you will fall before my Rokutoryu style! Especially with how hurt you are!" Hachi chortled before swinging his six swords wildly.

"Rokutoryu? You… really think you can defeat me here… then?" Zoro panted. Despite the growing infection, his body simply refuses to fall.

"Listen… there's someone that I must meet again. Until the day comes that I am strong enough to do so, not even Death can take me!" Zoro held out his arms

"JOHNNY! YOSAKU! LEND ME YOUR SWORDS!"

"Of course, Zoro-aniki!" the two affirmed and threw the two cleavers towards the Santoryu user. With some difficulty he managed to grasp them. They were much more bulky and less refined than his previous pair of katanas, but they will do for now.

"Nyu? 3 swords? It doesn't matter how many you use! You're still no match for me! **Rokutoryu: Takoashi Kiken!"**

Wildly swinging his blades around, Hatchi ran towards Roronoa Zoro, intent on shredding him with his blades. What he didn't expect was, with 3 swords, Zoro was literally a dancing wall of steel, each of his 3 swords blocking every strike he threw at him.

" **Santoryu: Tourou Nagashi!"** with a spinning slash, Zoro swept through the blades. The octopus was inflicted a large cut across his mid-section, grunting in pain as he did so.

"You bastard! I'm really going to kill you now!" Hatchi shouted as he got back up

"Hmph, know one thing: all 6 of your swords aren't even as heavy as one of mine!" Zoro declared.

"Nyu? What did you say?! Each of my swords weigh over 300 kg! I'll end you with this attack! **Rokutoryu: Takotsubo no Kamae!"**

Hachi brought all of his swords in front of him in the shape of a cone, intending to spear Zoro with it. Zoro braced himself in a familiar position.

" **Oni… GIRI!"** the blades slammed into each other with a clang!

The two were trying their best to overpower each other until….

Hachi's six swords were snapped into pieces, much to his shock.

"Now do you see? Why my swords have more weight than yours?" Zoro sneered.

"GGGRRRR! **Takoyaki punch!"** In one last desperate attempt to fight back, Hachi threw out all 6 fists wildly. Zoro only focused and prepared for one last attack.

" **Santoryu: TASTU MAKI!"**

Zoro spun in a deadly circle of blades, the resulting slash sending an updraft that carried the unfortunate octopus fishman upwards, shredding him with high speed winds. Hachi let out a scream of pain as he felt the tornado cut into his flesh.

"How could… his santoryu… beat my 6…?" was the last thing he said before crashing heavily into the ground, unconscious before he even hit the ground.

"Sorry, but you can't compare to me." Zoro firmly declared as he looked at the unconscious octopus, before slumping down, his wound getting the best of him.

 _While this is happening:_

Sanji is having the worst time right now.

The ray fishman was swimming circles around him, his speed increased greatly by the water. Sanji however could not do much as he tried to remain in place, watching him wearily. This is truly a bad predicament for him, for underwater, fishmen were at their strongest.

" **Gyojin Karate: Wanto giri!"** Suddenly, Kuroobi torpedoed into him, smashing his arm fins heavily and knocking him back. The martial artist then snapped his ponytail out and ensnared the blond cook before pulling back for another attack.

"I won't let you!" Sanji snapped as he swept his foot forward. Unfortunately, the weight of water inhibited his attack greatly, and his infamous kicks are now nothing more than a slow sweep of the leg.

"Do you see that? Your power is halved underwater" Kuroobi sneered "However, us fishmen have full strength behind their attacks! **Kaisoku: Harakudashigeri!"**

Kuroobi slammed his knee forward hard into Sanji's stomach, sending him flying back once again, before pulling him back.

" **Ka ka Kakato Otoshi!"** spinning around, he then delivered a searing dropkick which sent Sanji tumbling downwards.

" **Kachiage Haisoku!"** another rising kick, this time hitting the cook straight in the chin. Sanji was sent upwards again. Blood seeped out of his mouth as he felt a lot of his bones aching. Kuroobi on the other hand, had no scratches on him.

" **Jodan Bakusho!"** One more attack, this time a palm strike in the face that sent Sanji slamming into the underwater rock wall that extended downwards. Underwater, Kuroobi's attacks were truly powerful.

"Is this what a knight is supposed to be?" the ray fishman scoffed.

The wall suddenly broke as Sanji made a desperate attempt at the surface. He was running out of air and could feel his lungs constricting.

" _Dammit… I need to breathe!"_ his eyes widened as he realized his opponent arrived before him.

"Where do you think you're going? Don't bother, you're going to die here, along with the rubber man, Roronoa Zoro, the long nose, and that other human, who by now should be in Ebirah's gullet! Oh, and there's that treacherous woman Nami! They will all die before long!"

"Do you understand that your pathetic chivalry can't save anybody?! **Appakushi Chokka Koro!"**

Wrapping his arms and legs around the cook, Kuroobi crushed him tight against him before diving swiftly to the bottom of the sea. Sanji could literally feel as if his insides were about to implode as the water pressure began to crush him.

"Hmm? You still refuse to die?" the ray fishman frowned "I'll just do another one then!"

As he rose to the surface, Sanji was glaring defiantly at the martial artist.

" _I can't protect anyone you say? Damn you… I'll never forgive this guy!"_

He then noticed a pair of lines near the fishman's head. An idea then popped into his head as he figured out what he needs to do.

Just as Kuroobi was about to dive again, Sanji opened his mouth and bit down with what remaining strength he had. The ray fishman yelled in pain and released the cook, who took moment to break for the surface and taking a much need breath of fresh air.

Shakenly getting out of the water, Sanji shot one more glare as the ray fishman clambered ashore as well "Get up you stupid fish! I'm going kick your ass!"

"Don't think just because you have air that you have a chance in winning! I will use the ultimate technique in Fishman Karate to kill you, behold the **Senmaigawara Seiken!** Your chances of survive this attack… is ZERO! **"** Kuroobi dashed forward in a karate stance, intent on smashing his fist into the blond human. However, Sanji was done being a punching bag. It was time to strike back.

" **Collier!"** a kick to the neck, sending the fishman crashing heavily into the concrete.

" **Epaule!"** a follow up kick, this time a drop kick that smacked into his shoulder.

" **Cotolette!"** a kick to the ribs, making the fishman double over.

" **Selle!"** a kick to the back.

" **Poitrine!"** a kick to the chest.

" **Gigot!"** one last sweeping kick to the knees, making the fishman crash heavily into the ground some distance away.

"Why you… **Senmaigawara Sei-"**

He never even got a chance to use the attack, as Sanji reached him before he could and delivered multiple devastating kicks to the face.

" **Mouton Shot!"** The force was so powerful that Kuroobi was carried through the wall, into the outside wall, and landing in the field behind Arlong Park.

"Guess he doesn't need dessert" Sanji muttered, before noticing something in the far out sea. It appeared to be a sea cow being pursued by a giant lobster. On the Sea cows head was a very particular figure. Sanji grinned slightly as he saw this.

" _Will you look at that? He wasn't lobster food after all."_

 _While this was happening:_

"I can't believe how weak this guy is!" Chew grumbled as he came across the corpse of Usopp, a pool of blood near his head. "One **Mizu Taiho** was all that it took to bring him down? Guess I'm heading back!"

As the trumpetfish fishman began his trek back to Arlong Park, Usopp's body began to stir.

" _Oh good, the_ _ **Ketchup Boshi**_ _worked!"_ Usopp let out a relieved sigh, revealing that the 'blood' was nothing more than ketchup! " _He actually thought I was dead! Good, now I can take this time and get away!"_

" _Though… I really do want to help Nami. What those people did were horrible! But do I really want to risk dying?"_

He thought about it for a bit more before shrugging

" _Sorry Nami, but I don't wanna die just yet."_ he was just about to leave when…

* * *

" _I already wanted you as my nakama, you know that?"_ Thoughts of Luffy filled his head

* * *

Usopp gasped " _We really fought our hardest Nami…"_

* * *

" _Now Isn't this all better? Sharing your pain with those close to you?"_ Now they were thoughts of Gian.

* * *

" _Death would've been the better option!"_ Thoughts of Zoro's determination during his duel with Mihawk.

* * *

" _I've been dying to teach these lowlives a thing or two about how to treat a lady!"_ Now it was Sanji.

* * *

Even more thoughts now filled his head. Memories of the pain echoing through Nojiko's voice as she spoke of the hardships they've endured, the anger that the villagers felt, all the way back to Syrup Village, where Kaya always adored the tall tales that he told her along with the 3 kids that looked up to him. It made him rethink a lot of his actions, and he isn't going to stand idle anymore!

" _I can't believe this, Even with everyone else, even with people fighting for their lives, I'm still a coward… Not anymore!"_ Rearing up and shouting in a voice that startled even him, Usopp declared his challenge.

"HOLD ON JUST ONE SECOND YOU HALF-FISH FREAK!"

Chew froze and turned around with a hard glare in his eyes. "You're alive…"

"Of course I am! Some phony attack like that isn't enough to keep Captain Usopp down!"

" _This is what it's like to be a pirate… The others face hardships all the time, yet they're still laughing like they're having so much fun! That's why I wanted to go out to sea… to laugh alongside them… But I can't do that if I do not fight!"_

" **Kaen Boshi!"**

The same flaming projectile that fired earlier once again lit the fishman ablaze. Chew howled in pain as the embers licked his skin, before angrily rearing back his body and sucking in a deep breath.

" **MIZU TAIHO!"**

A large ball of water soared towards the sniper, who hastily dodged with a yelp before running into the forest. The ball of water exploded onto a nearby tree, splitting it into two.

"Where are you, long nose?!" Chew snarled as he scanned the forest. His reply however, was a sake bottle flying out of the woods, which he promptly caught.

"Hmm? Why is there booze-?"

" **Hisstatsu: Namari Boshi!"** Another slingshot pellet impacted into the bottle, spilling its contents all over the fishman

"What do you think to accomplish with such cheap tricks?!" Chew roared as he rushed over to a rice paddy and, in a feat that would shock most people, sucked up to over twice the amount of water equivalent to his body weight.

"If you aren't going to come out, then I'll flush you out! **Mizu Taiho!"**

The torrent of water smashed into the trees, flattening much of it. Fortunately USopp

"Still not coming out?! **Hyapattsu Mizudeppo!"**

Hundreds of water bullets shot out of the smelt-whiting fishman's mouth like bullets from a gatling gun, peppering the tree that Usopp was hiding behind.

"This is bad! I can't last much longer! But I have to fight on! I went to sea to become a brave warrior of the sea! My days of play pretend is over!"

"What's over?" Chew asked as he prepared another blast of water.

"This battle! **Hisstatsu: Kaen Boshi!"**

The same projectile again. However, while the fire had only been slightly painful the last few times they've struck Chew, this time there was an added bonus…

"Sake is flammable!"

Chew was engulfed by fire as he felt his skin cook and he desperately dashed towards the nearby rice paddy. However, Usopp was upon him, this time revealing a mallet in his hands.

" **Usopp Hammer!** " a strike managed to knock the fishman down. Usopp panted heavily; this was the most difficult fight of his life!

"Why you…" Unfortunately the fight did not seem to be over.

"AAAAAHHH! **USOPP HAMMER! USOPP HAMMER! USOPP HAMMER! Usopp Wagomu! USOPP HAMMER! USOPP HAMMER! USOPP HAMMER!"**

After a rather long time of repeated strikes, Usopp finally calmed down and viewed his handiwork. The fishman looked much worse for wear. Bloody bumps covered his head and he was bleeding profusely. Usopp was out of breath at this point.

"I… I did it… I BEAT A FISHMAN! YEAH! EVEN I CAN DO THAT! DON'T LOOK DOWN ON ME!"

Usopp then promptly fell over exhausted, hoping his friends would make it out alright.

 _While this was happening._

"Argh… damn it… Mohmoo you alright?" Gian hissed painfully as his cuts began to close. Beside him, the sea cow groaned painfully as it nursed its bruised and gashed side. The two had tried to evade Ebirah as much as possible, but that unfortunately was cut short when the mammoth crustacean dipped its claws under the water and scooped them out with an upwards swing. The two landed heavily on the beach near where the sea cow delivered him when they first arrived, while the lobster screeched in triumph and began clambering up after them.

"Shit… here he comes! Mohmoo, get out of here!" the sea cow let out a pained wheeze as it rolled to the side right as a Ebirah's claw slammed down, sending a cloud of dirt and knocking the Kaiju-zoan user back a bit. Mohmoo took this chance to slip back into the water and, although it wanted to help a bit more, decided to sit this one out.

"Alright, you mutant crab… now that we're on land it's time to **cook a lobster!"**

Gian suddenly surged forward, his Partial Transformation fully emerged. Ebirah screeched and stabbed its right claw forward, intending to impale the man. Gian back flipped on top of the pincer instead and ran up the massive appendage.

" **This is for busting one of my leg guards! ATOM STORM!"**

The remaining Seismic Tread revved into action as Gian's leg became enveloped with blue atomic energy as he delivered a devastating midair roundhouse kick towards the lobster's midsection. The power of the blow sounded like a clap of thunder as his foot collided with the hard carapace. Ebriah reared back in discomfort, before forcing his body forward and knocking Gian back again.

" **Oh my… You have to be kidding me!"** Not a single crack; there wasn't even a mark where his foot connected! Gian remembered that his kicks have been able to snap a 50 inch thick tree with ease, and once powered up by the Seismic Tread, his foot is enough to buckle steel plates! However, whatever that shell is made up of, it's obviously harder than steel.

" **Well then… how about this?"** Gian leapt upwards as his tail began charging up with atomic energy as well. Once he was level with the lobster's head he spun around and snapped the appendage across its face. " **Atom Sting!"**

This time Ebirah's head was whipped across, however…

" **CRAAAAAA!"** the blow only further enraged the massive shrimp as it slammed its left claw towards Gian, who hastily vaulted onto it and ran up the arm it was carrying. This time he charged up both fists with atomic energy and clasped onto its back, raining multiple atom-charged fists onto the hard carapace.

Ebirah screeched in annoyance as it bucked back and forth trying to dislodge its unwilling passenger as it stampeded deeper inland. The irradiated blows, normally easily capable of mowing down multiple threats, isn't even making a dent in the creatures' hard shell.

" **Ok… this is really starting to piss me off!"** Gian reared back his head, his emerging dorsal fins flaring blue for a second before firing an **Atom Ray** down at the shell. To his horror when the stream subsided, aside from the spot being visibly blackened, there still wasn't any substantial damage! What it did do, however, was greatly angering the massive crustacean. It bucked wildly, and finally managed to throw him off. This time Ebirah swung his left claw forwards again, with Gian too slow to dodge to coming attack. The massive appendage smashed into the Kaiju-zoan user, knocking the wind out of him and sending him flying in a straight line, breaking through multiple trees in the process. Ebriah screeched again before clambering after its prey; it is not going to stop until that source of vile energy is either crushed beyond recognition or residing within its digestive system.

Gian laid atop a pile of fallen logs, the result of the blow was enough to crack multiple ribs and probably even ruptured some of his internal organs. He can feel he bones realign themselves within his body, but it doesn't make it any less painful to bear. He was aware of the mammoth crustacean lumbering closer and closer, and his mind was now racing double time in order to think of a solution.

" _ **This is bad… None of my blows are even hurting it! That shell that it has is too hard for me to break with just a Partial Transformation…"**_ he thought desperately as he painfully got to his knees.

" _ **In a situation like this… There can only be- No! I can't! This is just a mere island! If I pull something like that here, then the resulting battle would… would…"**_

* * *

Images flashed through his mind: a foreign island, thunder and lightning cracking in the sky and raining hard. The image of a massive long-necked red reptilian creature staring back at him, the surrounding landscape torn up by high winds and claw marks…

* * *

 _ **That demonstration… showed me just how destructive this power can be… There has to be another solution without resorting to that! I have to-!"**_

He didn't finish his thoughts as Ebirah was upon him the next second. The lobster thrusted its right claw in another attempt to impale the Kaiju-zoan user. Gian instinctively rolled to the side, the claw missing by mere centimeters, and threw an atomic fireball at the massive lobster. The explosive compounded exploded on impact, but the fire, as expected was not nearly enough to damage the creature. Gian sighed as his previous thought confirmed itself.

" _ **It seems that… there isn't a choice anymore."**_ Gian thought as he avoided another claw swing _ **"it appears… that I really have to use**_ **that** _ **form…!"**_

 **A/N: Well, that's this chapter. Not really that different from canon once again but I honestly couldn't have made the fights that much interesting even if I tried, not without it seeming out of place anyway. Besides, I just wanted to get it out the way so that I can put my focus on the 2 main fights next chapter. That's right! The first of many moments that will appear throughout this series! Oh yeah, and Luffy fights Arlong, but no one cares about that here!**

 **So please, just bear with me for one more chapter. Then what you're expecting will appear.**

 **G: Bruh, your suspense is weak.**

 **I never said I was good at it. I just wanted to get this out of the way.**

 **G: And you could've done this much earlier… if not for your "** _ **special problem".**_

 **Whatever do you mean?**

 **G: Oh don't act like you don't know, considering it's taken over your life!**

 **What are you-?**

 **G: alright readers! Let me clear this up! A few days ago Author-san, after much envy at seeing his friends get it, purchased a game called Overwatch. Originally he believed that his mere Dell XPS 15 was unable to run the game as his video card was not listed in the minimum requirements. But eventually he gave in to the desire and bought it anyways. As it turns out, is complete bullshit, and he could run it just fine, albeit with some frame delays here and there. So that lead to him being absolutely jubilant and now plays it constantly, with or without his friends. In short, Overwatch is on its way to replace me in his heart! You must stop him at all costs!**

 **Jesus… you sound like a crazy ex-girlfriend… it's nowhere as serious as that!**

… **though yes… Overwatch has been taking up a lot of my attention, along with other things like my summer classes coming soon and I gotta prepare for that. But I promise I will still have time for this story! I'm not stopping it for anything!**

 **G: You better not.**

 **Yes, mother…**

 **Anyways, onto the reviews!**

 **To FourthWallBreaker:**

 **G: I'm Alive!**

 **Nah, dead.**

 **G: So… I'm a zombie then?**

… **No, but you're gonna have a spotlight moment soon, don't disappoint me.**

 **To Shadowmwape:**

 **G: To be or not to be, that is the question**

… **that does not belong here…**

 **As of right now… not yet. I want to reference the Mechagodzillas in another way, but that's all still in the works right now. I have a rough idea on how it will play out, but that won't be for a while.**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **G: What the fuck is Toriko?**

 **It's another manga/anime… about cooking wild animals**

 **G: That sounds stupid.**

 **No it's actually pretty interesting. I never actually thought of it that way before actually!**

 **To grimTherapist:**

 **G: SCREAM! LET OUT ALL OF YOUR AGONY! LET DEATH COVER YOU IN ITS EMBRACE!**

… **Are you ok?**

 **G: Yeah, why?**

… **no reason *puts away tranquilizer.**

 **To anquan:**

 **I am too**

 **G: So am I! Kicking its ass that is!**

 **Do lobsters even have asses?**

 **G: …Kicking its thorax!**

 **To Vergil Leonidas:**

 **Well, you don't have to. BWAHAHAHA did you really think I was going to all that on every chapter? Ain't nobody got time fo' dat!**

 **I'm just going to put the openings for each arc on the first chapter of the arc, then for the rest of them just imagine it in your head or something before you read it. Seriously that takes up unnecessary words.**

 **G: Also if anyone has song recommendations, we'd appreciate it!**

 **That too, by the way, glad you liked it!**

 **To Matt:**

 **G: Are you sure you're not a detective? What's with all the questions?**

 **If it's a clue you want, then it's a clue you'll get! Keep in mind I will only give this one out, and no more beyond that!**

 **The kaiju that will appear in Whitebeard's crew has only appeared in one Godzilla movie and none after the Showa series.**

 **There! Obscure enough to get people guessing while not revealing anything else!**

 **And those are the reviews this time! I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can! In the meantime…** **More Overwatch…**

 **G: NO! GET BACK AT ONCE!**

 **SHUT UP YOU DON'T KNOW MY LIFE!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will play Overwatch as well!**

 **G: Then nothing will get done ever again! …It does look fun though…**


	23. Unshackle the beast: the final push!

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **(Opening 1: Uso by SID)**

The earth itself was being shaken by Ebriah's heavy attacks. To those who remained at Arlong Park, they can see parts of the vibrant red crustacean smashing its claws into the ground. To the villagers, it was a horrifying sight, as the cries of rage and the tearing up of earth can be heard even here.

"How is Gian-aniki going to beat something like that?" Yosaku mumbled.

"He better have something planned out, because it's going to come after us after it's done with him…" Genzo said.

"Hey! Have more faith in him!" the two bounty hunters shot back.

"We also have Arlong to deal with…" Nojiko pointed out

Meanwhile Arlong seemed to have grown tired of waiting, and after seeing two of his officers defeated rage was boiling within the massive fishman.

"Hachi… Kuroobi… How dare you people do this to my brethren?! I'm going to kill you with my own hands now! You inferior species have no idea who you just angered!"

Zoro and Sanji tried to rush him, but Arlong's monstrous strength easily sent them packing. The sawshark fishman unleashed his **Uchimizu** bullets, the water droplets hitting with the force of 10 rifles. Zoro and Sanji were both struck by the water bullets, wondering just how much strength Arlong has.

"Do you see that? This is the difference between our species! Why are you trying to risk your lives anyway? Do you really think that girl would-?"

"ARLONG!"

One voice surprised all the villagers anxiously watching the fight.

"Nami!"

"What's Nami doing here?"

"Nami-aneki!"

The orange haired girl, now having bandages wrapped around her shoulder and still wearing the straw hat, arrived and stared defiantly at the massive fishman. The past few minutes allowed her to gather her thoughts and proceeded to do what's she was about to do next.

"Hello Nami, are you here to see these people die?" Arlong sneered at his cartographer.

"I'm here to kill you!" Nami shouted as she raised a knife.

"Kill me? At least you're persistent! How many times how you tried to kill me before? And how many of those times have worked?"

Nami glared and bit her lips. It was true. Many a nights has she tried to assassinate the fishman. Poisoning, frontal assault, anything you can name she tried. Nothing worked, and each time Arlong simply laughed it off, convinced that the girl he enslaved can do nothing to him.

"It's not like there is any reason for you to kill me, now is there? After all, I've been taking pretty good care of you these past few years if I do say so myself! Now, how about we make another deal? You come back as my cartographer, and I'll spare every rebelling villager today! Normally I'd kill them without a second thought, but I'll make it a special case this time! However, the same doesn't go for the 5 people who were arrogant enough to believe they could defeat me." He gestured to the Strawhat pirates.

"If I were you, I'd choose to stay as my cartographer. These 3 fools before me cannot even match my strength, while the long-nose was killed by Chew. As for the bastard that bonded with that traitorous animal, Ebirah is making short work of him right now!"

Nami gasped as another ear-splitting screech sounded, following by the thunderous sounds of Ebirah's claws slamming into the ground. She'd only encountered the creature a few times, and each time it had capsized a sailing ship near the area. She is still haunted by the screams of sailors that have fallen to its claws.

"So, Nami. What will it be?"

Nami was silent, she desperately wanted her village to be safe. She tried to drown out the angry protests of those close to her and instead looked at the 3 pirates facing down Arlong. Despite growing increasingly exhausted, Zoro and Sanji stood fearless in the face of danger, while Luffy was openly challenging the fishman to make a move.

" _I have to believe that they can do it! I have to believe that Usopp and Gian are still alive! I just know it!"_

With a wide smile, Nami then turned back to the rest of the villagers.

"Everyone! I'm sorry! Will you all die with me?" this simple sentence made the entire village beam in pride.

"OF COURSE WE WILL!"

"So that's how it is… Very well, you've all signed your death sentence." Arlong snarled and prepared to attack, when he was hit square in the face by a rotten egg.

"Don't worry guys! I will provide cover fire!" Usopp shouted… from all the way at the wall.

"WHY ARE YOU OVER THERE?!" All the villagers' facefaulted. Nami smiled in relief as she realized the liar had survived.

Arlong realized what this meant "Chew was defeated as well… YOU HUMANS HAVE GONE TOO FAR THIS TIME!"

"Your opponent is me, Arlong!" Luffy issued a challenge, however the timing was interrupted.

Because just that moment a pure beam of blue light shot towards the sky and the entire island was enveloped by a blast of energy so powerful that even the trees were beginning to bow. Everybody had to shield themselves to prevent being pushed back. It was then that they heard it; a sound that they will not forget soon.

" **SKREEEEEEEEEEEHOOOOORRRRRKKKKKKKKKK!"**

 _A few minutes earlier:_

Gian was hopping left and right as he attempted to avoid the bludgeoning claws as much as he can, every so often shooting an **Atom** **Ray** back towards the giant lobster. They were going further inland, as Gian hoped to keep the environmental damage as low as possible. What he was about to do can essentially terraform the land around it if he used it excessively.

The lobster raised its claws again when suddenly it felt something lightly strike its head. Tilting its head it saw a band of 10 humans running towards it, the one in the lead holding up a rifle.

"That's right you rotten crab! You smell the scent of Letchi dontcha? Then come finish the job!" Deimo shouted as he fired a few more shots.

" **Deimo-san! What are you doing?!"** Gian demanded as Ebirah roared and turned to attack them, which they avoided narrowly.

"Giving this shrimp its retribution! I've got nothing to be afraid of! This time I'm going to-" he then spotted Gian's new bestial appearance, and his eyes involuntarily widened and his jaw dropped. "What the hell happened to you?!"

" **THAT'S NOT THE CONCERN HERE! GET OUT BEFORE YOU GET YOURSELF KILLED!"**

"Don't be thinking I'm afraid of dyin'. I've already lost everything to this monster, and if I were to lose my life today I'll drag it down with me and cook it in the infernos of Hell!" Deimo snapped and unsheathed his rapier. "FOR BELL-MERE-TAISA!"

Deimo charged again, ignoring the protest from Gian as he attempted to futilely spear the mammoth crustacean. It was then that, in his haste, he accidently tripped and fell short of his target. The lobster chirped and raised his right claw and thrust it forwards.

"Deimo-san!" the remaining villagers cried out in fear as the time seemed to slow down.

Then one voice cut out above the rest, a small voice, but one that was backed with emotion.

"PAPA!" Bota's shrill cry was unmistakable. It was hearing this that something within Gian snapped.

The claw came down and struck its target.

Only for the man to push back.

"G-Gian-san?" Deimo stammered as he watched the transformed youth grip the spear like claw, throwing his weight back at it. Part of the claw dug into his shoulder, but Gian refused to give way.

" **You're a real pain in the ass you know that? What do you think you're doing throwing your family away just to die alone?!"**

" **Now stand back… you don't want to get in my way for what I'm about to do."** Gian snapped before snarling in pain as Ebirah's spearlike claw pushed further into his shoulder.

" **I won't fall… not here! I promised Triton-senpai I will master my Kaiju-zoan abilities and become the strongest Kaiju-zoan user there is… I'M NOT GOING TO DIE TO SEAFOOD!"**

Suddenly Gian's body began to glow blue, the light growing brighter and brighter each passing second.

Then the blue light shot towards the sky and the entire area was struck by a powerful pulse. Deimo was knocked back, landing onto some of his villagers as he heard Ebirah let loose a screech of shock.

Then the light faded, and Gian had disappeared.

In his place, there was something that the villagers of this island would never imagine seeing in their lifetime.

The creature that stood before them was an absolute massive monstrosity, even taller than Ebirah by a fair amount (though to be fair, Ebriah can't stand on 2 legs). Its appearance is similar to what Gian looked like before, only this time it was supersized. Its coal black skin was a sharp contrast to the cloudy backdrop. Its long tail swept back and forth, scattering some of the trees nearby. A forest of maple leaf shaped dorsal fins lined its back. Its head, a massive cranium in the shape of a predatory dinosaur, glared hard at the crustacean who couldn't help but cry out in futility.

With power coursing through him, Gian let out a thunderous challenge at his opponent.

" **SKREEEEEEEEEEEHOOOOORRRRRKKKKKKKKKK!"**

Ebriah screeched a warning to the monster; the foul aura was now at an overwhelming level. It hated it with every fiber of its body, and it wanted nothing more than to destroy what stood before it.

Gian flexed his newly grown muscles; this should be able to handle the rest of the battle. A Full Transformation is something that rivals a natural disaster, which is why he's only used it once before and that was during a training session with Triton. He hopes to end this battle quick before any lasting damage befalls the island.

" **Now… it's showtime…"**

* * *

"WOW A DINOSAUR!" Luffy pointed; he was obviously not concerned there were now 2 giant monsters near his vicinity, heck it isn't every day you see something like this!

"So that's what the Full Transformation looks like, I thought it would be bigger." Zoro mumbled, but he was relieved inside. This can really turn the tide of this battle.

"That's a Kaiju-zoan's Full Transformation, those guys were way off on the…" Sanji appeared to say something, then stopped himself. Those stories he's heard from those guys when he was a child, now suddenly doesn't seem so farfetched after all. Looking at the monster before him, he could understand why his family is so interested in it. Something tugged on his mind when he thought about that, but he brushed it off.

Usopp, Johnny, Yosaku, and the rest of Cocoyasi village were all slack jawed at what they were witnessing. Something like this happening in East Blue was unheard of! If this is what the Grand Line has to offer, then what could other people from there be like?

Nami similarly was rather shocked. Someone who had been close to her, who treated her like a crewmate just like the rest of them, has something like that within him. She hoped that this boost would be enough to help him win.

Arlong had a mix of rage, awe and fear after seeing the Full Transformation. Having been from the Grand Line, he's seen many Devil Fruits before. However, nothing compared to something to that caliber, and Arlong was worried this would shift things against him… he shook off this thought; Ebirah will have to take care of this. He had a bunch of despondent humans to kill first.

"So each and every one of you managed to live somehow… I will make you all wish that you had died earlier!"

"Then bring it on! I'm going to take you down!" Luffy promised and got into a fighting position.

* * *

 _Meanwhile:_

Gian roared as he and the lobster both simultaneously charged at each other. The two titans met with the sound of a thunderclap as each threw their weight against each other, neither side giving an inch. Eventually though, Gian was able to muster enough force to start pushing the giant lobster back, to which an anxious Ebirah hastily stabbed its right claw into his thigh. Gian roared in pain and cocked his fist back and charged it with atomic energy before slamming it into its carapace, Causing Ebriah to scuttle back with a pained groan.

" ** _Good, I can hurt it now."_** He thought.

To the side, the villagers of Letchi were staring at the battle with their eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

"Impossible… I never thought that something like this could possibly…" Deimo whispered in awe

"Deimo-san, what did Gian-san just do?" an old villager asked.

"Something that I've only heard from stories back when I was a marine, something that I initially believed to be mere legend…"

"Will this be enough?" Narsha asked.

"We will have to see. Right now no one is to intervene on this fight. There is nothing more we can do besides have trust in Gian-san." Deimo ordered, before his eye was caught on a rather heartwarming sight.

"You can do it, Gian-nii. I know you can." Bota was clenching his fists and whispering encouragingly.

Deimo placed a comforting hand on his son's head, just happy that the boy got his speech back.

Cutting back to Gian, the battle was progressing on. With the massive power boost that comes with a Full Transformation there are things that he can do now that he couldn't have done before. Case and point: Throwing Ebirah over his back in a surplex that rocked the entire area. The lobster screeched angrily as it brought down its hammer claw in an attempt to cave in the Kaiju-zoan users' skull. Gian sidestepped before slamming his weight into the lobster, dazing it for a quick second before charging his tail up with atomic energy.

" **Here's a throwback to 8 minutes ago, except it's slightly different! ATOM STINGHAMMER!"**

True to its name, the tail was swept down like a sledgehammer, bashing the massive crustacean on its carapace. The sound was loud enough to be heard for miles as Ebirah groaned in pain.

Gian didn't let up on his attack as he charged again, this time predicting a claw thrust by Ebirah as he let the massive appendage pass harmlessly over his ducking body and he forced his weight towards the lobster's underside. With each arm gripping a piece of Ebirah's carapace, he used his newly gained strength and flung the lobster a set distance away. Ebriah landed with a massive cloud of dust enveloping it.

" **Now this is more like it!"** Gian muttered to himself as he continued his fight.

 _As this is happening:_

As Gian and Ebirah continued to make thunderclaps with each of their blows, Luffy and Arlong were locked in combat themselves. For the rubber boy, it was clear that this fight is going to be difficult. Arlong's fearsome strength was high above his own, and he was fighting his hardest right now.

It was when Arlong opened his jaws and thrust his head forward was this fact made more apparent. Luffy narrowly managed to jump over the bite, and Arlong instead got a mouthful of rock. This was not an inconvenience for him, however, and every human present were slack-jawed as the saw shark fishman simply chomped through the stone pillar. Luffy screamed as Arlong rampaged after him, thrusting his jaws out all the while.

"Shahahaha! Look at you right now! The power of these jaws will be more than enough to finish you off."

"So what if you bit through a pillar? I can break through rock without biting it!" Luffy shot back.

"You're so delusional. You really think you have a chance against me. Tell me, rubber boy, do you know the difference between the two of us?"

"Hmmm… the nose?" Arlong's sneer dropped at that.

"The gills?" the fishman was getting progressively angrier.

"Oh! I got it! You have webs between your hands and we don't!"

"IT'S OUR VERY RACE!" Arlong snarled and charged again to deliver another bite "You humans can't do anything! You can't breathe in water, your strength is pathetically weak, there is absolutely nothing you have over us fishmen!"

"So what? I know that there are things that I can't do! That's why I have nakama that help me!" Luffy shouted.

"I don't know how to cook, I can't use swords, and I don't know how to navigate or turn into a giant monster. I can't even lie! (Oi…!) so that's why I need help from those that could!" hearing this his crew smiled, and even though he's a few distances off, Gian couldn't help but feel some sort of pride in his chest.

Arlong snarled and rushed in for another bite. But this time, Luffy didn't attempt to dodge.

"What I _can_ do, is kick your ass!" Luffy's declaration was met with his fist slamming into Arlong's face, sending the fishman tumbling back and shattered the prized teeth that he was using previously, and the villagers erupted into cheers.

But it was not over yet, for Arlong simply got back up and sneered at the crowd.

"Now look what you did… you broke them…" Arlong's teeth clattered out of his jaws…. Only to be replaced by a fresh set, much to Luffy's shock.

"But, fortunately for me, I happen to be a shark, and sharks can regrow their teeth!" To emphasize on this point he proceeded to rip out two more sets of teeth, and held them in his hands giving him the illusion of having 3 sets of jaws.

"I'm going to tear you to pieces now… **Tooth Gum!"**

Arlong thrust one of his arms forwards, the gnashing of teeth creating a clanking sound as the bit down the air, Luffy just barely avoiding it. Now Luffy was on the defensive and was constantly dodging the monstrous attacks.

* * *

The villagers then felt something heavy crash into the ground. Further away, Gian and Ebirah's struggles were also reaching a new height as the giant lobster stabbed his right claw forward, which Gian dodged but was struck by the follow up left claw, knocking him down. Ebriah wasted no time in scuttling up his body, pinning him down with its weight and slamming its claws repeatedly into the Fully Transformed Gian.

" **Atom Incinerator!"** Gian had to pull this off quickly as his forced atomic energy into his dorsal fins, superheating them in the process. The result was that Ebriah was stabbed into by multiple hot needles of bony fins. The lobster howled in pain as Gian managed to dislodge him and slam his leg into the lobster's head.

* * *

Back with Luffy, the rubber boy suddenly got an idea as he was dodging some of Arlong's attacks. As Arlong thrust one of his arms forwards he jumped up and delivered another punch to his head. This managed to knock loose a set of teeth…

"I thought I'd told you, that it's useless for you to go for my teeth?" Arlong sneered before thrusting his arms, only for Luffy to jump behind him… and did the unthinkable.

"Look! Now I have them too!" he shouted jubilantly with none other than Arlong's teeth just barely stuffed into his mouth as those who are not fighting all facefaulted.

* * *

Faraway, Gian was preparing for another attack when he suddenly brought his palm to his forehead and groaned.

"Gian-san… what's wrong?!" the villagers of Letchi asked as they watched from the sidelines.

" **I don't know what he did, but I just know it. Somewhere… somehow… my captain just did something incredibly stupid…"**

"And how do you know that?"

" **Trust me… if you've travelled with him for as long as I have, then it just comes to you. You just know when he does something that makes you braindead."**

"…ok, but shouldn't you be focused on something else, like… I don't know… THE FIGHT?!" Deimo snapped.

" **Oh, right! Still have to take care of this lob- OOOOFFFFFFFFF!"** Gian grunted as Ebriah charged into him again… much to the chagrin of the former mayor.

"You point out the stupidity of others, yet you do something like this… pot, meet kettle."

* * *

Speaking of which, Luffy is about to put his plans into action!

" **Tooth Gum!"** Arlong thrusted his hand forward again, this time actually managing to catch Luffy's in the chest and the teeth dug into flesh.

"AAAAAHHHHH! I'VE BEEN BITTEN BY A SHARK!" Luffy screamed before chomping down on Arlong's neck, causing the fishman to yell and release his prey.

"Ha! How does it feel to be bitten by your own teeth?" Luffy taunted as Arlong pulled the dislodged teeth out and threw it aside.

"How about you tell me? After all, you humans have jaws that are way too weak to do any noticeable damage." He then thrust his arm forward, the teeth clasped in that hand latching onto Luffy's arm and Arlong began to squeeze. "But our jaw strength allows me to tear apart flesh!"

Luffy screamed again and did the only thing he could at the time; slamming his foot into Arlong's face, managing to free himself. Luffy rolled around in pain as Arlong got back up groggily.

"He still has his arm…" Zoro breathed a sigh of relief as others did the same.

"Such persistence… but you won't be able to last forever!" Arlong then dove into the water in front of Arlong Park.

Luffy scanned the water, waiting for his opponent's next move, until the water in front of him suddenly rippled and Arlong shot forward with the speed of a torpedo.

" **Shark on Darts!"** using his nose, the fishman was literally a flying spear of destruction as he sailed towards Luffy. Luffy just barely avoided the attack, which Arlong flew into the side of Arlong Park, drilling a sizable hole into it.

He barely had a chance to catch his breath as the fishman came flying at him again.

Luffy gritted his teeth, this could be problematic…

* * *

Back with Gian, it appears that Ebirah has gone into a frenzy, and was just slamming its claws down left and right as Gian tried to block. By now this side of the island was getting very torn up from all the fighting, and Gian knew he had to end this quick.

As Ebriah slammed its left claw down like a hammer, Gian grabbed onto it, only this time he decided to try something different. Ebirah's beady eyes widen as it saw that its opponent now had mind, because Gian's dorsal fins flashed blue for a second before Gian lanced an **Atom Ray** right through the claw; severing it from the lobster's body!

Ebriah's howls of pain could be heard across the entire island.

For the first time in its life, the mammoth crustacean actually felt fear. All its life it had been the alpha predator of these waters, nothing can top it. Who would've thought that this newcomer would take its throne from it? In one last desperate attempt to survive, Ebirah thrusted its right claw forward and tried in vain to impale any major organs, but it was not to be. Instead, it felt its claw being gripped and then it felt itself depart from the ground.

Gian spun the lobster around a few more times before letting go, sending Ebirah flying in the direction of Arlong Park. His dorsal fins then began to flash blue as light gathered near his mouth.

" **SUPERCHARGE: MASSIVE ATOM RAY!"**

A minor shockwave actually burst forth when Gian released this larger-than-normal beam. The heat ray struck Ebriah square in the chest as it propelled it further. Ebirah let out one last scream of pain as it felt its shell literally getting cooked.

Then it landed, all the momentum sent it skidding across the land before it crashed through the back portion or Arlong Park, narrowly missing the building itself. This sent a cloud of dust that nearly obscured all the Cocoyasi Villagers' vision.

All this time Arlong was still torpedoing at Luffy, and when the massive crustacean smashed through the back portion of Arlong Park, he was so shocked that he didn't even realize that Luffy had managed to grab onto him as he sped past, before his face made impact with the pavement as Luffy slammed him down hard.

When the smoke cleared, Ebriah was laying forward, one claw missing and much of its midsection literally turned to slag. Pieces of melted carapace were dropping steadily as the light dimmed in its eyes.

Ebirah, the once feared super-predator of the Conomi Islands, is no more.

* * *

" **Shame… I was kind of aiming at the building…"** Gian mumbled, before shrugging and began walking back to Arlong Park, intent on finishing the job.

As he departed, Deimo and the remains of Letchi trailed behind and looked on with a somber smile. This man had just avenged their lost village, and all those who have lost their lives from the lobster's previous assault, even if he didn't realize it.

" _Gian-san… Thank you…"_ Deimo couldn't help but have a tear drop down from his eye.

The Villagers of Cocoyasi were shocked at the scene, the corpse of the lobster sitting just a few feet from them. It really appeared that these 5 pirates were going to win!

"YEAH! GIAN-ANIKI DID IT! HE THREW THAT LOBSTER INTO ORBIT!" Johnny and Yosaku both cheered.

"I can't believe it, Gian-san just defeated the monster that has plagued the shores for the past 8 years…" Nojiko was in shock.

"These people… they really can do this!" Genzo hoped. It was still too early to get their hopes up, but it seemed like victory was almost assured at this point!

"Gian…" Nami murmured. A smile began to grow on her face.

They barely registered said Kaiju-zoan user was now stomping towards them, his footsteps making small quakes with every step.

" **Skrehahaha! You all look like ants from this high up!"**

"You almost squashed us with that throw!" Zoro complained.

" **Yeah, that was kind of the plan."** Gian joked, Zoro grinned at this.

"Good to see you did it."

"Y-you're not hungry right now… are you?" Usopp quivered. Gian, however, misinterpreted that worry

" **What do you think? I nearly used up all my stamina just to maintain this new form! I think I can out eat Luffy now!"** Hearing this, Usopp nearly fainted.

"Hey Gian! That thing looks like it has a lot of meat in it! We should eat it after the battle!" Luffy proposed.

" **Don't get your hopes up that quickly, we're still not done here… Can we even cook something that big?"** Gian pointed out.

"Yeah… if I take enough lobster meat from it, there should be enough for everybody on this island…" Sanji mused.

" **Ok… so eating it is possible. Still gonna have to finish up first though."**

Arlong grunted as he got up from the pavement and glared at everybody. Everything was going wrong! These humans were supposed to be dead right now! Rage was growing more and more within him, and even in the face of Full-Transformation, Arlong wished that he could just tear them all apart. The transformed monster then spotted the recovered fishman.

" **Give up Arlong, You lost.** **Maybe Luffy won't beat you up too bad if you just surrender and face judgement."**

"I lost? Is that what this has come to? Well if I've lost then I'll kill everyone here first!" the fishman snarled.

" **Where are you going with this?! Do you think you haven't caused enough pain for everyone on this island?!"** Gian yelled

"IT IS NOT! I WON'T BE SATISFIED UNTIL THE ENTIRE WORLD FALLS UNDER MY CONTROL! ALL YOU HUMANS HAVE NOTHING TO BE COMPARED WITH COMPARED TO THE FISHMEN! YOU AREN'T GOOD FOR ANYTHING EXCEPT TO BE RULED OVER BY US!" Arlong screamed.

" **You're insane… just because we're of a different species has nothing to do with which one of us is superior! This stupid notion that one race is superior to another is complete bullshit! Yet you use this as an excuse to enslave an entire island?!"**

"I'm the insane one, is that right? HOW DARE YOU SPEAK OF MORALITY TO ME? HUMANS CLAIM THERE IS EQUALITY, YET YOUR SOCIETY IS FILTHIER THAN EVERY OTHER RACES'! YOU SPEAK OF NO ONE BEING SUPERIOR TO ANOTHER, YET YOU PURPOSELY STEP ON ALL THOSE THAT DON'T SHARE YOUR VALUES?! WE FISHMEN HAVE BEEN LOOKED DOWN UPON BY HUMANS FOR EVER AND WHEN WE DECIDE TO STEP UP YOU CLAIM YOU WERE THE ONES BEING OPPRESSED?!"

Gian was solemn at this. It's true: humans and fishmen never really had the best relationship with each. Hack had once told him that fishmen generally view humans as an inferior species, and likewise humans saw them as nothing more than just freaks. Discrimination was abundant between the two species, and has been for centuries, even though there have been a number of individuals (like him and Hack) from both sides that interact with the other well. It was a lesson to Gian that made him remember that the world isn't as bright and beautiful as people believed.

After hearing that spew, it was clear to him that Arlong had personal experience with this, and that was what amplified his hatred for humans. Everyone else at the scene were also having trouble taking this in.

" **Don't you see that by doing this you aren't fixing the problem at all? You're just encouraging more people to hate fishmen!"**

"They can hate me all they want! I represent the hate of fishmen to begin with, and it's something I've embraced. You come to my territory, harm my brethren, and just expect me to be ok with this? You have no right to say anything that I've done is wrong, when I am just returning the same treatment you've bestowed upon us! My former captain, all he did was show the world his strength, and you humans killed him in cold blood for that! He could've been saved, but you humans denied him the blood transfusion that he desperately needed! And you expect me to just let that go? All I am doing is showing you who is truly on top, IS THAT SO WRONG?!" each word were spat out as if they were poison in his mouth. This was not merely a superior complex, there was no arrogance. Just pure, unbridled hatred in Arlong's words.

By now the fishman's pupils have turned into slits, and it did not go unnoticed by the people around them.

"Oh no… Arlong's eyes have changed!" Genzo warned.

"Those are the eyes of Sea Kings when they are enraged… he's going berserk!" Sanji gulped.

"Arlong… I've never seen him like this before! Luffy! Gian! Be careful!" Nami shouted.

"Now I'll show you… Just how superior our species is!" Arlong howled before ramming his fist towards Luffy, who happened to dodge. However, that was not where he was aiming, because Arlong's fist retracted from the wall behind it to pull out a scary-looking weapon.

"IT'S THE KIRIBACHI!" Nami paled. Arlong only took this out when he was really enraged, and none who have faced it ever lived. Kiribachi was massive pole, with 6 tooth-like blades protruding from the side. It is Arlong's trademark weapon, and he couldn't wait to carve up the one who pushed him to this.

" **Oh, that doesn't look good…"** Gian mumbled.

With a roar, Arlong slammed the weapon down where Luffy once stood, tearing up a large chunk of pavement as the boy literally missed it by centimeters.

Arlong then noticed Gian's massive fist careening towards him, and he promptly dove into the water just as the punch struck the ground with a heavy BOOM.

" **Shark Twister!"** Spinning the weapon around underwater, a bladed waterspout formed and speared itself right into the Kaiju-zoan user's torso, drilling into him and knocking him back with a CRASH!

"Gian!/Gian-Aniki!/Gian-san!" a chorus of voices shouted as dust obscured the view of the fallen Kaiju-zoan user. When the smoke cleared Gian had reverted from his Full Transformation, having no more energy to maintain it.

"Arlong just knocked down a monster…" Genzo whispered.

"Dammit… I can't move anymore…" Gian groaned as the after-effects set it, a newly arrived Deimo now cradling him urgently "Luffy's gonna have to finish this by himself…"

Said Rubber boy was just about to go help when another **Shark Twister** flew at him instead. He hastily dodged again, only to have a few more aimed at him. Before long he was perched on one of the roofs of Arlong Park while having to dodge waterspouts.

Arlong then erupted out of the water, swinging Kiribachi down hard, ripping up a large portion of the roof. Luffy could go nowhere but up, and Arlong repeatedly spun in the air so that he was similar to a living buzz saw. The two went higher and higher, before Arlong threw a kick at the rubber boy and sent him flying into a window and the two disappeared inside; a very specific window…

"They went into the-" Nami realized, for that particular room had a very long history with her.

 _Inside:_

Luffy groaned and looked around, only to see that the room was full of paper. More specifically they were maps, hand-drawn from scratch and very detailed. Aside from the bundles and piles of paper, there was nothing else in the room save for a small desk with a pen on it.

"Well, it seems we're here… Do you know where this is?" Arlong taunted.

"This place… is the room Nami stays in where she draws maps for me!"

This made Luffy's eyes widen.

"That's right! During her time here, she's helped me plenty. She was quite the useful tool, you could even say that she was my… _comrade!"_

"…What did you just call her?" Luffy asked with a frown. "Nami is my navigator!"

"Oh please! What can you do to make it better for her? In this place she has all the money she could want, nothing to worry about food or clothing! All she has to do is draw maps that assist me in conquering the rest of these seas!" Arlong cackled before slamming Kiribachi downwards, pinning Luffy to the ground.

"Once I have a map of the world, nothing can stand in my way! And Nami will help me with that! Even though she's a human like the rest of you, she at least has the intellect and skills to differentiate herself from the rest of your pathetic kind. All that talent is wasted on the rest of you, only I can use her as well as she is?"

Arlong then forcefully wrenched his hand down, intending to slice the rubber boy in half, however he found that he was unable to; Luffy's got a hand around it.

When he looked down, Luffy had a look of absolute rage on his face. While Arlong was talking, he'd noticed many things about the room. Like how some of the maps had water marks on them, and how the pen was stained with blood…

"…Did you just say… you were going to USE her?!"

The grip on Kiribachi tightened. Arlong tried to wrench it free but Luffy's grip was too tight. It got to the point where Luffy forcefully snapped the saw-like blade in half.

Arlong growled and thrusted his nose forward, only for Luffy to grab onto that too. The boy ignored the pain of the spines digging into his hands as he forcefully bent the nose in a 90% angle. Arlong roared in pain.

"I don't care about how great you think fishmen are! I don't even know why all this is happening. But I do know one thing: That this room is making Nami suffer! And because of that, I will destroy it!"

"Wait, you don't know what-" Arlong tried to protest, but Luffy was already in the process of thrusting his foot out and stamping at one of the walls, causing a large hole to cave in and sent multiple maps flying out. Luffy continued his ransacking, throwing a table here, ripping up a pile of maps there. Just like that, many years of slaving away was destroyed in a second.

"STOP! What are you doing?!" Arlong shouted as he charged forwards to try and stop him, only for Luffy to throw him into another shelf and scattering more maps.

* * *

Outside, people could see everything getting thrown out of the room.

"That's a lot of paper… Hey Deimo-san, can you show it to me, I can't pick anything up right now…" Gian mumbled.

"They're the maps that Nami were forced to draw…" Deimo deduced, and his fist tightened.

"And Luffy is tearing the entire place apart…" Sanji mentioned.

"Yeah… hope he burns it as well…" Gian sniffed.

Nami was silent as she watched everything tumble out of the room…

With each item thrown, it felt as if another burden in her heart was lifted, one by one.

All of her memories of the room flooded back to her, how she was forced day by day to make maps until her hands bled. All the psychological abuse she suffered within.

All of that, now seemed to be floating away…

" _Luffy…"_ tears were threatening to break as sheets of paper was fluttering around " _Thank you…"_

* * *

Inside, Luffy was still destroying all the equipment, and Arlong was at his limit. Everything he's built up to now will not be taken away from him!

Luffy's leg then stretched up, breaking through the roof. He was going to destroy this room along with the entire building. Arlong picked up what his plan was and in one last attempt, opened his jaws and began spinning in a corkscrew fashion.

" **SHARK ON TOOTH!"**

The whirling deathtrap of teeth torpedoed towards Luffy in break-neck speed, the jaws slamming into the rubber boy's side. Luffy yelled in pain but refused to stop, as he brought his foot down in one last attack.

" **Gomu-Gomu no… ONO!"**

Like a 1000 ton weight, the foot smashed into Arlong, sending crashing through the top to the bottom floor with a massive CRACK. The impact was so powerful that it sent shockwaves up the entire building.

Then pieces of it began to fall apart.

First the bottom falls away, then the remaining floors. Everything that held up the once impressive compound is beginning to give way, and it was not long before the entire building was beginning to collapse. Finally, the massive sharkhead that held the Arlong Pirates' Jolly Roger tumbled down as well.

Arlong Park, the fortress of the Conomi Islands, is now just a heap of rubble.

"Luffy is still in there!" Nami shouted desperately.

"Dammit! Deimo bring me to the wreckage I'll try digging him out!" Gian struggled. Some of his movement is beginning to return, but it wasn't enough for any serious activity. Deimo had to remind him of that while he and everyone else present looked on anxiously.

Zoro, Sanji and Usopp all looked on, equally anxious and hoping he would get out.

Then the pieces of rubble broke, and out emerged a tattered, dazed, but still alive rubber boy. He was silent for a while before shouting to the high heavens.

"NAMI! YOU ARE MY NAKAMA!"

Tears were flowing freely now. The boy that she'd met not long ago, along with his friends have liberated not just her, but her entire island. For the first time in ages, Nami felt truly free.

"Yes… of course I am…"

* * *

Luffy then noticed everyone staring at him.

"What's everyone looking at?"

Gian and the rest of the crew chuckled at that. Even though the kid just toppled an entire building he still was so carefree.

"Hey Gian, why are you lying on the ground? Is it nap time?" Luffy then asked.

"It is for me, after what I just pulled out I feel like I can sleep for a month. So go ahead and do whatever and-" his eyes suddenly widened and a look of fear rose on his face.

"LUFFY LOOK OUT!"

 _Nearby:_

 _Twitch… twitch…_

The world of Ebirah was black.

That previous attack had not only broiled the creatures' insides, but it had also melted its sensory organs.

Ebirah is now blind.

But that doesn't mean it couldn't feel.

And feel it did, sensing a large amount of humans nearby, and one particular one still reeked of the vile energy.

Rage simmered within it. It didn't even manage to kill it! It's there, taunting it, and Ebirah wanted it gone. That last attack mortally wounded it, it probably only has a few seconds top to live. But it would make sure that it make that foul energy cease to exist first.

With one last desperate strike, Ebirah forced its right spear-claw forward.

It felt impact with something; the squish of flesh. The gurgle of pain…

And that's all Ebriah had time for as it slipped from this world.

 _Back:_

The scene was gruesome.

Luffy looking dumbfounded. Zoro, Sanji, Gian and Nami were pale. Usopp had fainted by this point.

The villagers of both Cocoyasi and Letchi were equally scared out of their wits.

And one scarred, beaten up fishman does not have long in this world anymore.

Because Ebirah's claw was now protruding a good 2 inches out of his chest.

You could imagine the shock and horror that everybody felt when Arlong erupted from the rubble, intending to at the very least drag the person who dismantled his entire empire to hell with him. By now he wasn't even thinking straight, he just wanted to see the boy dead.

Fate had other plans.

Arlong's breathing was beginning to increase, his mouth was filling with blood. His vision was becoming unfocused.

Who would've guessed that he, who ruled the Conomi Islands with an iron fist, would be where he is at today? The claw had impaled him through the heart, there was no way he can survive this.

His vision was beginning to blank. White was filling his mind by now. And at the center of it, was a tall, red seabream fishman. Wearing a captain's coat. The figure was facing away from him.

" _Tiger-aniki… I was just giving the humans what they deserve… is that so…wrong…?"_

Then the figure faded, and Arlong gurgled one last time, coughing out a pint of blood in the process.

Then he fell limp.

'Saw Tooth' Arlong, self-proclaimed tyrant of the Conomi Islands, is dead.

 **A/N: So that's it for the climax of Arlong Park. There was a lot of planning with this, and some parts were played around with more than once. But this eventually became the result. To be fair I keep getting the idea that it could be better, but this is what came out. I did give Arlong that new attack, which i thought is just something I can play around with.**

 **The biggest thing people are probably going to ask me about is Arlong's death. It something I played around with for a while. Originally I wanted it to be more like canon being that he lives and gets arrested like he did. But honestly, Arlong is a really tragic character when you think about it. He may have been a pure villain for the human characters, but he genuinely cared about his fellow fishmen. Unfortunately for him, it was through Fisher Tiger's death that he let this hatred consume him and forced it back on the humans who he viewed lower than dirt, becoming no better than humans who did discriminate against fishmen. But what makes him different from Hody Jones, is that he actually has a sense of loyalty, as shown by his time with the Sun Pirates. So with that I decided to let him take his hatred with him to the grave. It probably could've been written better, but this is how I did it.**

 **G: Way to get political with this… and it was so lighthearted too…**

 **Just you wait buddy, this is only the beginning…**

 **But yeah, I finally got this out of the way. Next chapter would be wrapping up the arc, which is mostly going to be personal explorations for Gian. Then we go to Loguetown arc and I'll tell you right now, it's going to be mainly Gian-focused as I'm going to be going deeper into some of his relations. After this we probably won't see the Full Transformation much until probably Alabasta.**

 **So with that, I hope you enjoyed the last portion of the fights!**

 **Responses to reviews:**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **G: He dead.**

 **That he is.**

 **To anquan:**

 **You'll see in two chapters… and the rest when we get there….**

 **G: see? Overwatch is preventing you from getting there fast enough!**

 **Don't objectify that.**

 **To Vergil Leonidas:**

 **G: Sorry he was playing Overwatch.**

 **I still finished it!**

 **G: Yeah, but you had to change it several times because you replacing the dialogue with 'Ryuu ga waga teki wo kurau'.**

 **We promised never to speak of it….**

 **But yeah, here it is!**

 **We'll see you next time!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will actually play support for once!**

 **G: fuck that! I want it to be High Noon Forever!**


	24. Last days in Cocoyasi

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **(Opening 1: Uso by SID)**

"Is… is it over?" Nojiko asked.

It was silent for the most part. The events prior were still fresh on their minds. A few of the villagers were still concerned one of the two bodies would suddenly wake up and attack them again.

The strawhats themselves were alert as well, especially the two who had just had the fight of their lives moments before. Right now they seriously don't have any more energy to fight again. They really don't want to push themselves much more, but they will if they have to.

Arlong and Ebirah did not stir. It seems that they really have departed from the world of the living. Only now did everyone star to ease up.

"It seems… that Arlong is really dead…"

"Then… we're free then? It really is over?"

"We're no longer under Arlong's control!"

"We are saved!"

The villagers, now having gotten over the shock the previous events, began cheering and picked up Luffy and proceeded to throw him up and down. The boy eventually broke out into a smile as the villagers cheered.

Gian suddenly felt himself picked up as well, and when he looked down he saw Deimo and the rest of the villagers also throwing him.

"Ok, how the hell does a bunch of scrawny skeletons like you guys manage to lift a guy like me?" he laughed.

"Oh shut it you punk! You've played just as big of a part in saving this island, so just live with this treatment! Speaking of which, your friends did their job too! So let's celebrate all of them!" Deimo brushed it off. The rest of the villagers immediately agreed and picked up Zoro, Sanji and Usopp as well, with the former 2 uselessly protesting, while the latter was enjoying it a bit.

Nami couldn't help but smile at her crewmates.

"Isn't this great Gen-san?" Nojiko could hardly believe it.

"I-I never thought I'd see the day…" Genzo was speechless and almost put to tears at the idea. They've endured 8 years of tyranny under the fishman, and now they were finally liberated.

To the chagrin of everybody on site, their celebrations were cut short when an unwanted figure cut in.

* * *

"Chichichichi! Who would've thought that 'Saw tooth' Arlong would meet such a fate?" Nezumi sneered at the still body of Arlong as he and some marine soldiers sailed into the remains of Arlong Park "Well, I suppose it made my job easier then!"

"Hey! The cheese factory is that way!" a voice took an obvious jab at the marine captain's rat like appearance. The villagers couldn't help but stifle some giggles while glaring at him. Nezumi grimaced at the remark made by Gian who had the biggest shit-eating grin on his face.

"I'll let that slide for now… From now on, all of Arlong Park's treasure belongs to me, along with his bounty money!"

"You still haven't had enough?! After you shot Gen-san, stole my money, you still want to take anything else from the villagers?" Nami snarled.

"Watch your tone little thief, or I'm be hauling you in-" Nezumi was about to say more but was intercepted by 3 pissed off men.

"Don't try to spoil the mood when people are celebrating." Zoro scowled while Sanji and Gian made the most intimidating glares towards the remaining soldiers.

What followed was an absolute beat down as the 3 dished out some rightful retribution.

"H-How dare you do this to me?" Nezumi went through a layer of bleeding bumps and broken teeth "I'll have you all arrested you hear me? I'll-"

"C-captain! Our ship just went down!" An infantry soldier suddenly pointed out fearfully.

"What? That can't be! The sea monster that lives around here is dead already! Its corpse is right here!"

The water behind them suddenly exploded, revealing a green-spotted sea cow who was glaring at the marines with irritation in its eyes.

"Hey… isn't this Arlong's pet?" Nezumi choked out.

" _My_ pet, thank you very much." Gian snickered as he held out a fist, which Mohmoo touched with one of its flippers in a crude fistbump "And he hasn't eaten anything for a while so…"

Mohmoo wasted no time to open its mouth and leaned towards the rat-like captain. Nezumi let out a child-like scream and scrambled to get away, blubbering out apologies.

"Oh, Mohmoo! Before you do anything let me talk to him first!" Nami called out. She then walked up to man, and proceeded to slam her staff repeatedly into his face.

"Now listen here you scumbag!" Nami hissed "You are going to leave every last bit of money here for the villagers! You will also help with reconstruction of some of the destroyed villages! And lastly, GIVE ME BACK MY MONEY!" She shouted while smacking him a few more times.

"I'll do it! I'll do it! Now stop hitting me!" Nezumi begged.

"Actually, taking bribes from pirates is a sign of corruption, and technically punishable by law…" Gian mentioned. Deimo immediately got the point.

* * *

"That's right, this bastard is a disgrace of a marine! I outta show him a thing or two about justice." The former lieutenant snarled and drew his rapier, sending the rat like man into more fits of whimpering.

"You don't have to do anything here Deimo-san, there's someone that will do all that for you. Do you know how to get to Loguetown?"

"The town where Gold Roger was executed? I've been there a few times in my youth, yes."

"That's the one! It just so happens that there's a marine captain on the island that would be more than happy to interrogate the scumbag! Mohmoo can tow the little dinghy they got here with and he could probably get you there and back within the day."

"T-they'll never believe you! I have rank within the marines they'll take my word over yours!" Nezumi sneered shakily.

"That's why around 3 people would be accompanying your sorry ass there. And don't think you can just bribe this guy either, he's incorruptible."

"Alright! Nojiko, Gen-san if you will come with me?" Deimo asked, the two then complied, stringing the beaten up marine captain along with them "Remember, if you try anything, the sea cow eats you! Got it?"

Nezumi only whimper and nodded rapidly.

The trio then set off with the disgraced captain, but not before said rat man shouted back a threat.

"Don't think I'll forget about this! You're still just a bunch of pirates! I'll get you two especially, Monkey D. Luffy and Gian! Just you wait! You're gonna be big!" the man continued to curse more until Mohmoo snorted, causing the man to go into another fit of pleading.

"Phew, we can get some peace and quiet at last." Gian sighed.

"How did that guy know I was going to become Pirate King?" Luffy asked, completely misunderstanding the situation.

"That wasn't what he meant you idiot!" Zoro snapped.

"Anyway, we shouldn't hog the news of Arlong's defeat all to ourselves! Spread the news to every island that was under Arlong's control!" Dr. Nako shouted.

At last, it seems that the hard times are over. From now, these islands have peace.

 _Later:_

When they said they were going to celebrate, they literally meant celebrate. The entire village became filled with festivities, with good food, song and dance, and storytelling abundant. For the first time in ages, the people living on the Conomi Islands can truly be happy.

Dr. Nako's job however, was not finished. For the heroes who saved the village, the 5 pirates before him apparently had next to no idea of medical expertise. How they managed to last this long and not succumb to disease is beyond him. Case and Point: the swordsman of the crew, Roronoa Zoro's massive wound across his chest area. The wound was poorly dressed and now showing signs of infection, and Zoro was gritting his teeth in pain as Dr. Nako cleaned it.

"How did you even treat this?! It's like you have no idea what to do with wounds!" Dr. Nako scolded. "You guys start a pirate crew yet you don't even have a doctor aboard?"

"Never needed one, until now I guess." Gian mentioned while lying in the bed beside Zoro. Despite his continuous insistence that his healing factor mended all of his wounds right after the battle ended, Dr. Nako was adamant in making him get some bedrest, stating that the strain on his body is something that you can't heal from.

Luffy, Sanji and Usopp were also present and getting checked over for smaller injuries; though Luffy had to get his bite wound cleaned a bit.

"A doctor huh? You're right we do need one! After we get a musician first though!" Luffy's predictable outburst had his crew sighing.

"Even after we almost died this kid still is concerned about that…" Gian shook his head.

"What? Pirates need to sing!"

"I'd rather not sing when I'm 6 feet under, no one can hear my beautiful voice otherwise!"

"Is it really beautiful? I doubt it." Zoro stated, then winced as Dr. Nako applied another dose of rubbing alcohol.

"You wound me, whatever I'm getting something to eat." Gian sniffed and walked off, once again asserting that his wounds have healed.

"Yeah! I can use some meat too!" Luffy laughed as he walked out as well.

Dr. Nako just sighed and continued to work on his patients, a small feeling of concern for Nami in his heart as he thought about her potentially travelling with these people.

* * *

 _Later:_

Gian had walked all the way to the beach where he was first delivered to by the sea cow, a plate of buttered lobster in his hands. The remains of Ebirah contained enough meat to last the villagers of the island for weeks to come, and this is saying something after they witnessed not one, but two big eaters consume a good 30% of the lobster.

Luffy's big appetite is something surprising already, considering how skinny the boy is. The rubber boy single-handedly downed chunks of meat and washed it down with juice. He probably ate a good amount of the island's food supply, and this is only supposedly the first day of festivities…

But what surprised everybody even more was the fact that Gian, who is normally rather reserved in his eating habits, practically vacuumed an entire table of food down his gullet in less than 4 seconds. Those who witnessed the phenomenon saw that he didn't even bother chewing, just swallowing in big gulps.

"What?" He had said "Full Transformations make me more hungry than normal!"

* * *

By now the festivities have been going smoothly. But Gian decided to stray away from the celebrations for a bit, and he had good reason too, after seeing the devastation he played a part in during his battle with Ebirah.

A good portion of the west side of the island was now in ruins. Trees uprooted or crushed into splinters, the ground dug up and turned over. Scorch marks also littered some of the trees and ground where Gian's **Atom Ray** struck it.

" _I guess it's unavoidable… It's the consequences for having such a power I suppose… Even though I tried to limit it the best I could, it still happened."_

"If you're thinking about the destruction, it isn't your fault."

Gian turned to see Nami strolling towards him, the girl now looking a lot happier after the events that preceded. Her arm was still bandaged, but it would heal soon.

"You did what you have to, and because you did, you prevented more of the island from destruction."

"Even so, I had hoped that it wouldn't be as bad it is…"

"There's no use blaming yourself for what already happened, you did the only thing you could think of, and I'm sure you know it was the only option." Nami said firmly.

"What are you doing away from all the festivities anyway? Of all the people I can think of, I'd expect you to be in the middle of it." Gian asked.

"I can go later, right now there's a lot to think over. What I'm going to do from now on and such." She looked down for a bit.

"And… what Arlong said before his death, I've been thinking about that too."

"Nami, what Arlong said has nothing to do what he's done to this island. He's the kind of person who succumbed to the hate within him, and people like that you can't reason with."

"I know that, but I still can't believe that a monster like him has suffered such things before. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he didn't deserve his fate, but it seems… sad that this is what became of him."

"You are right on that part. If people and fishmen continue to feel such hate towards each other, incidents like this will only continue to happen." Gian sighed, why does he feel like the events here would come to bite them in the ass again later?

"It's why we need good people in this world, to show everyone there's reason to go past all this hate."

Nami nodded "Perhaps one day, things like this will have no reason to happen anymore. I can never forgive Arlong for what he has done, but I don't hate other fishmen for this, they have no more part in this than we do."

"You two look like you're having fun." A voice called out. The two turned to see Deimo, Genzo and Nojiko getting ashore, absent of the rat-like marine captain. Mohmoo mooed at Gian when it saw him, which Gian chuckled and handed it the remains of the lobster plate to which it devoured greedily.

"I take it that everything went well?" Gian asked.

"Indeed, that Captain Smoker is a fine marine if I ever met one. A true envoy of justice."

"Yeah that sounds like him alright, though I don't think he'd be happy to see me again anytime soon."

"Heh, yeah you got that right. When he found out that you became a pirate, he was rather livid even though he didn't show it."

"Ah, I'll deal with that some other time."

By now Nami, Nojiko and Genzo have gone off to enjoy the events of the island, leaving just Gian and Deimo together talking.

"I'd forgotten how quiet the coast is. We used to think that we'd never enjoy just standing outside and feeling the sea breeze in our faces again." Deimo sighed "You guys not only saved the island, but you've given us our hearts back."

"Stop, you're making me cry."

"I'm serious, if the attack on my village 7 years ago drove me to hell, then what happened today made me ascend to heaven."

"Well, if you're happy with it then I'm glad to help." Gian smiled "Speaking of which, what are you guys going to do now?"

"The money we stored up will be going towards the rest of the island to help with repairing their homes. A few of the villagers thought about staying with the others, while others wanted to go leave and see the world now that they have nothing to fear anymore." Narsha answered as she appeared with Bota, the two joining the duo.

"Also, some of it is going to fix up the island, especially after what happened here."

"I really didn't-"

"We know, nobody is blaming you. But the island isn't going to fix itself so that's where the money is going."

"You were so awesome back there Gian-san! I never thought such things were possible!" Bota shouted ecstatically. Gian couldn't help but smile affectionately; the little boy is so similar to Rokuro.

"Yeah well it wasn't as fun for me when I was face to face with it. So be glad you weren't the one facing it." He joked.

"As for us, we're probably going to go for a vacation, I haven't been off the island for so long I forgot what the rest of the world feels like." Deimo said while stretching.

"Really? I'd never expect your old bones to be able to handle something like that!" Narsha teased.

"Oh they can, I just move slowly so you can keep up!" Deimo grinned before embracing his wife and giving her a kiss, to which she gladly reciprocated.

"Hey! Watch the PDA around the children will ya?" Gian snapped while covering Bota's eyes, the boy making a gagging noise in the process. The two separated sheepishly.

"Anyway, that's the plan. Nothing is really set in stone right now, but I hope we'll be able to travel someday."

"If that's the case, then I wish the 3 of you good luck! Now you should probably go back to the party, they're probably wondering where you are right now." Gian mentioned.

"Oh yeah, now that you mentioned it I realize I haven't eaten anything all day!" Deimo slapped his fist into his palm. Narsha shook her head.

"He's so forgettable sometimes… come along then, that blond boy Sanji assisted in some of the cooking and his dishes are delicious." When Sanji had found out that there were 10 people on this island that haven't had a decent meal in 7 years he wasted no time in preparing some food for them personally and wouldn't hear any other excuse.

"Sounds like a plan! Let's go!" Deimo nodded.

"Are you coming Gian-san?" Bota asked.

"You guys go on ahead, I already ate." Gian said to them. As they left to go enjoy some well-deserved food, Gian sighed and looked back at Mohmoo.

"It sure is good seeing a family together, makes me miss mine."

Mohmoo tilted his head as Gian clenched his fist and a blue flame began to billow from it.

"This power… I'm going to make sure it protects the people close to me. My old mentor always did say that, in the hands of those who know when to use it, the power of a Kaiju-zoan fruit is stronger than anything."

 **Flashback:**

" _Oi Sailhead! Don't you think you're pushing him a bit too hard?!"_

 _The weather was stormy where the Red Hair Pirates were currently docked at. This time it was for no reason other than a training exercise, a very specific one._

 _The winds were howling, and that was further amplified by the giant red reptile currently swishing its tail back and forth, each swing causing another gale to pick up. The creature had red bumpy scales, a long neck which ended in a head with a large crest on it. Its tail had a fin similar to that of a sail._

 _Before the giant beast was small child, barely hanging on due to the speed of the high winds. In all of his life, Gian had never witnessed such a monstrosity before, and in his Full Transformation, Triton was terrifying._

" _ **It's the only way he'll learn, Yas. If he isn't prepared to handle his power, then he needs to know how to."**_

" _Still, he's just a kid! You're gonna kill him!" Yasopp protested._

" _ **That, or he'll remember how to do a Full Transformation. I know what I'm doing**_ _."_

" _Sencho, you aren't actually letting him do this, are you?" Yasopp questioned. The rest of the crew were having similar thoughts about this. Something as energy intensive as a Full Transformation seemed impossible for a 15 year old._

 _Shanks stared impassively at the scene, deep down he was rather concerned for the boy as well. Gian's still too young to be fully utilizing such a destructive power. Shanks does trust Triton's judgement though, and he had to agree with the fact that, should the kid know what his full transformation is capable of, it could be helpful for him in the future._

" _Triton understands this more than I. He won't let anything happen to Gian."_

 _The navigator of the Red Hair Pirates gave a toothy grin, then refocused his attention on the struggling boy._

" _ **Now listen to me Gian, The power of the Kaiju-zoan you have within you can be both a blessing and a curse to the people around you. One second you're a regular person and the next you become a walking natural disaster. Now whether you can use it to protect those close to you or not depends on how much it matters to you**_ _." The man said curtly. This was not the usually laid back Triton that you see hanging around the Red Force; this was a teacher, and his lessons are to be taken seriously._

 _Triton whipped up another gust of wind, almost blowing Gian off his feet. "_ _ **Now show me! Show me that you're capable of handling this power!**_ _"_

 _Gian gritted his teeth as he pushed back against the gale. He tried to remember what Triton has taught him._

" _Release your inner energy… gather it and mold it… then let it course through your body. You're a living weapon, and to your enemies, you are destruction itself…"_

 _Gian's body began to glow as an explosion rocked the entire island to its foundation._

" _ **There we go**_ _…" Triton grinned as a charcoal colored beast roared towards the sky._

* * *

 _Hours later Gian woke up with a jolt. His entire body felt like it was weighed down by 10 ton weights. He was sore all over. He was barely able to move his head, and to his shock he saw that the entire island was now devoid of vegetation; what remained was blackened earth and burnt landscape._

" _How you holdin' up, kid?" Triton had turned back to normal by now, lying down beside him._

" _W-what happened around here?"_

" _This, is the power of a Kaiju-zoan." Triton mumbled from beside him. The minute he passed out, Triton had been beside him, not taking a single step away._

" _We-We… caused this?!" Gian was at a loss for words._

" _It was the result of our training exercise yes, this lesson is to show you just how powerful the power we process is. And how dangerous it is."_

 _Triton then gave a serious look to the little boy "Now do you see the amount of power we hold? Promise me this, unless it is absolutely necessary, never use the power of the Goji-Goji no mi recklessly. I know that's kind of redundant considering what we just did, but this isn't something to joke around with."_

 _Gian nodded slightly "I promise, Triton-senpai."_

 _Triton smiled and picked the boy up in a piggy back ride "Good, now let's get back to the ship." On the way back, Gian once again affirmed the decision not to use this power unless it is required._

 **Flashback end:**

"And now it appears I'll be using it more often. Once we get to the Grand Line there's gonna be powerful pirates that could challenge us. We will need to be ready, and with the power of the Kaiju-zoan, I won't let anyone hurt them!"

Mohmoo just nodded, it didn't understand much of what his new owner said, but it could tell it felt passionate.

"You didn't get any of that, did you big guy?" Gian chuckled and shook his head "That reminds me, what are we gonna do with you? You can't stay near the village because most of them are still scared of you, but you can't exactly travel with us either…"

Gian's eyes suddenly lit up "That's it! How about you go and live with my adopted family? It's pretty boring where they are and my little brother could use a pet!"

Mohmoo's eyes shone with wonder; having a group of people to live with without having to be force to kill things? That sounded like a new idea. But what if those people he talked about were afraid of him too?

Its eyes turned to see Gian writing something down "Don't worry about them accepting you, they like animals. Besides one of those guys kind of owe me something anyway. So make sure you don't get this note wet when you get there." The Kaiju-zoan user then showed him a drawing of Solgell Island, before tying the note to one of the sea cow's horns.

"Just keep swimming until you get to this place. You won't miss the large cylindrical building."

Mohmoo thought about it a bit more, then turned and swam off. It has a lot of searching to do in order to find this place. Gian watched it go, smiling inside after thinking of Rokuro's big smile when he sees the big friendly sea cow.

 _Later:_

"Gian-san, a word with you please."

"What can I do for you Deimo-san?"

It's been 3 days since the beginning of the celebrations, who would've thought that they'd actually go for that long. Then again, considering what they've been through, it makes some sense.

Luffy was having a great time, consuming everything he can get his hands on. Usopp was telling the villagers about Arlong's defeat, though he inserted himself into most of the scenarios. As for the others, they enjoyed themselves whenever they can.

Now, Gian and Deimo were taking a little walk together.

"You said you have a rare Zoan fruit known as a Kaiju-zoan, did you not? What did you mean by becoming the strongest Kaiju-zoan user?"

Gian smiled at the memory "It began as a promise I made to an old friend, a promise that I'll one day have full control over my Devil Fruit power. So really, it's just to show him I can handle this power, and if there are any other Kaiju-zoan users out there that wants to challenge me, then I'll gladly accept."

"I see… then let me give you a heads up. Back when I was still a marine, there was a young boy who joined the marines. He was only a cabin boy back then, but after some time I heard that he ate a devil fruit that gave him a similar ability to yours. Apparently he made it to the rank of Vice-Admiral now, according to Smoker-san."

"Really? What is the fruit called?" Gian was hooked when he heard this.

"That, I do not know. The name was never revealed, and I didn't keep up with his progress after I retired." Deimo sighed "But from what I heard the fruit has unimaginable power, so much that Marine HQ practically bans him from using it when he's doing his regular duties."

Gian was silent when hearing about this. As a marine, whoever this person is has a good chance of encountering them on their journey. And if what he has is really a Kaiju-zoan, and really is as powerful as Deimo described it to be, then he would need to be prepared.

"Thank you for telling me this, I'll keep it in mind and hopefully learn more about it in the future."

"Just looking out for ya, kid."

The two continued to walk for a bit, before they spotted 2 people in the distance. Upon closer inspection, it was Luffy and Genzo. The latter was pouring a bottle of sake on a makeshift cross.

"Bell-mere-taisa's grave." Deimo mumbled solemnly. Gian nodded in understanding.

Luffy noticed the two of them and waved.

"Hey, Gian! Did you find any Namu-Hamu melon? I've been looking all over for it!"

"No, I didn't even know they had that. Also we're at someone's grave, so let's not talk about food right now, shall we?" Gian scolded.

"Oh, sorry. My condiments."

"It's condolences, Luffy…"

Genzo ignored the two of the, instead watching Deimo as he drew closer. "You haven't visited her since the attack on Letchi. She would be worried up there."

"Yeah, I know."

Deimo then walked up to the cross and gave a salute.

"It's been a while, taisa. For 7 years I wasn't able to come see you. I was afraid for that long. Afraid of the lives of those under me, afraid of how your family is treated. I really acted out of character." Tears began to flow out of his eyes. "You've been avenged, taisa! Arlong is dead… he'll never trouble Nami or the village again! Your daughters have both grown up so much, they've become so mature, enduring this for 8 years… Nami can now be free to follow her dreams of making that map so you have nothing to worry about anymore… she's found friends who value her as a person!"

Genzo then turned to see the two of them "You two are in the same crew, right?"

"That is true." Luffy replied

"Then you're aware that Nami is probably coming with you guys if you leave, right?"

"If that's the case, then that's fantastic, we really want her to-"

"Nami is old enough to make her own choices, and if she isn't afraid of the danger, then I will support it. But know this, if either one of you take away her smile, I'll find you and kill you myself, do you understand?" Genzo put extra emphasis on this last part.

"But I would never steal any-"

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

"Of course. I promise you that it will never happen!" Luffy nodded.

"That's goes for me too." Deimo stated curtly "We may have gotten to know each other better, but if I get even a word about Nami getting mistreated then mark my words, Kaiju-zoan or not, I will hunt you down personally!"

Gian could tell both men, who valued Nami as much as their own daughter, were dead serious when they said this. For a guy who just faced down a giant lobster, he was more afraid of what these two would do to them if he, or his friends, would ever mistreat her.

"Cross my heart and hope to die in the fires of hell. I promise as well." Gian stated.

 _The next morning:_

At last, the crew was ready to set off again.

"Watch over Nami for us, ok?" the villagers addressed the crew, who promised to do exactly that.

"That should be all the food, we're ready." Sanji confirmed.

"We'll miss you guys!" Johnny and Yosaku both wept. The two have decided to go back to bounty hunting and live on the island as well.

"Yeah, we should probably get going now." Gian stated.

"Wait! What about Nami-san?" Sanji complained.

"I don't think she's coming." Zoro shrugged

"WHAT?! WHY NOT?!" Sanji shouted

"She probably wants to spend time with her family or something." Gian said.

"But what about us?! Nami is like, 98.72% of the reason that I joined!" Sanji moaned.

The crew was suddenly alerted to Nami running towards them, her eyes focused. She dashed past every villager on her way here, and landed on the deck with grace.

"Set sail!" Nami ordered.

"Nami, wait!" Genzo shouted afterwards

"We have to thank you at least!" Deimo called after her.

"Yeah!"

"She even left a letter along with all 100 million beri that she stored up…" Nojiko mumbled.

Nami looked at everyone who was close to her, then grinned. She lifter her shirt, and lo and behold:

"THAT'S MY WALLET!"

"MINE TOO!"

"WHY YOU LITTLE THIEF! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU I'LL-" Genzo shook his fist after her.

"Why do I even bother…?" Deimo mumbled.

"Um… Anata, your pockets…" Narshi pointed. Deimo reached down and realized his money was gone too.

"THAT'S IT! I'M GONNA-"

Back at the ship, the crew all sweatdropped at their navigator's antics.

"That's just like her…" Usopp sighed.

"Can we really trust her?" Zoro grumbled.

"Beats me, I don't have anything for her to steal." Gian shrugged.

Luffy and Sanji just laughd.

"Goodbye everyone! Take care!" Nami waved back. It also turns out that her old tattoo of the Arlong Pirates insignia was replaced by one of a pinwheel and tangerines. Every villager just sighed and wished her off in their hearts. As long as she's happy, nothing else matters.

With that, the Strawhats were back together, and onward they go to bigger pastures.

* * *

 _Meanwhile:_

Faraway at Marine HQ on the island of Marineford, an immediate meeting was held to discuss East Blues newest pirates.

"In just a few short months, this particular figure has quickly rose in infamy within East Blue" Commodore Brannew informed those present "shortly after formation they have taken down disgraced captain 'Ax-hand' Morgan, then subsequently defeated Buggy the Clown, worth 15 million beri, 'Pirate Admiral' Don Krieg worth 17 million beri, and last but not least, 'Saw Tooth' Arlong, worth 20 million beri. This goes to show, that the Strawhat Pirates are quickly becoming a threat to the world."

"Now I would like to you to pay attention to two members of the crew in particular. The captain, 'Strawhat' Monkey D. Luffy and his first mate who goes by the name of simply Gian. These two have contributed to the downfall of many high-bounty pirates in East Blue, where the average bounty is only around 10 million. With that, their initial bounty will be: 30 million beri for Monkey D. Luffy and 16.5 million for the newly dubbed 'Beast Warrior' Gian. With that I encourage-"

"Hold on now, only 16.5 million for the second one? Surely from the report we got proves he should be at least on par with his captain." Another voice spoke up, belonging to a shadowed figure standing at the rear of the room.

"The report… we deemed to be exaggerated. After all the captain who filed the report was charged with collaboration with a pirate after all."

"Is that so? And I supposed the rumors of another giant beast locked in combat with the local sea monster was proven false then?"

"What are you suggesting, Gideon-chujo?"

"What I'm saying, is that the report said that 'Beast Warrior' Gian had engaged the sea monster in combat, but what defeated it was an unknown monster? Does that not sound strange to you? Face it, the higher-ups are covering up the fact that there is a potential Kaiju-zoan user within East Blue. I know our kind is terrifying to you common folk but that does not mean that it should be excluded." The figure, now known as Gideon, retorted.

"That proves nothing, chujo… we have very little evidence that the monster and 'Beast Warrior' is connected in any way. Perhaps our dishonored captain was simply hallucinating. You can't just make a baseless accusation like this over some story you heard years ago." Brannew sighed. It's clear that this was not the first time conversations like this had occurred.

"In any case, permit me to go investigate and I will-"

"Denied. You know just as well as I do that unless the gensui himself permits it, you are not allowed to make such rash decisions."

"Then I will waste no more time here." Before anyone else can do anything, the figure walked out the conference room, another soldier following him.

* * *

"You sure know how to end a conversation, Gideon-chujo." The soldier beside him shrugged and lit a cigar, as the two stared out towards the sea atop the balcony. He was of medium height with slightly grey hair and a grizzled appearance. It is revealed that the man's right arm was a mechanical prosthetic.

"People are afraid of what they don't want to believe, Horace. I gave them the truth, they chose not to believe it." Vice Admiral Gideon was a young, handsome looking man, around the age of 24. Upon inspection, the one word you can used to describe him is: gold. His golden blond hair extends down to his shoulders, and his golden eyes shone with confidence. However, it was his attire that attracted the most attention. While he was wearing the usual Vice Admiral uniform, it was a golden version with the kanji for justice engraved on it, while he was wearing a golden 2 piece suit underneath. Instead of the usual epaulets his shoulders carried two pieces of armor carved into the shape of 2 dragon heads. His arms and legs were adorned with golden guards. Overall, the man gave you the idea of a knight in golden, shining armor, though to the pirates that went against him, that gold represented death.

"So you really believe that prophecy of yours is coming true?" the grizzled marine known as Horace asked again "that here really is a Kaiju-zoan out there?"

"The world speaks of an infernal dragon, breathing blue fire, will storm out of the East. Gold meets ash, Earth meets sky. The twin drakes with rip this world to its roots." Gideon recited, by now golden arcs of energy was crackling off his body. "And I believe I just found our earth dragon."

"Do you think you're really ready for this?"

Gideon glanced at his subordinate, and gave a confident smirk.

"If I were to know, it would remove the purpose. This meeting was due long ago, and now it will arrive. And I will be there to welcome it." The vice-admiral's golden eyes now had the crimson of winter cherries to them, as what appears to be a split visage of a golden 3-headed drake could be seen behind him as the wind began to pick up…

 **A/N: Arlong Park is complete! Of every arc I've written so far, expectedly this has the most rave reviews. For the best arc in East Blue, that's a given but it still is good to see so much support for this story!**

 **So this chapter is just to tie in some ends in the final chapter of the Arc including Gian's bounty amount (the actual poster will be described next chapter). The number right now is a bit on the low side, but there's a reason for that, and that will be further explained upon once we get deeper into the story. There's also a teaser for a new OC, who will have some sort of interaction with Gian further into the series. Next up, we'll begin the Loguetown Arc, which I hope to finish with just 2 chapters because it's so short.**

 **G: We made it this far because of y'all! Give yourselves some cake!**

 **So, regarding Gian's epithet, i'll give you a heads up: it will be changing 2 more times within the series. As to what they are, I'll keep you guessing a bit.**

 **Responses to reviews!**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **I'm glad you enjoyed it! To be honest, it took some thought before I decided to go through with it but I'm glad I did. As for if that will ever happen, then I'll just have to find a way to write around it without it affecting the story.**

 **G: Young Metro don't trust Arlong**

 **But he didn't get shot…**

 **G: point still stands.**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **G: Who is Batman?**

 **The most badass/edgiest superhero known to man… anyway I'm glad you like it!**

 **To Vergil Leonidas:**

 **I'm so glad to hear this! I hope the reason I put for killing off Arlong was satisfactory. And you're totally right. I literally meant to include additional dialogue after the end of the conversation, but for some reason I skipped over it! I made a mistake!**

 **G: We're not worthy!**

 **So I decided to touch upon it again here, I know it doesn't work as well but I have to put it in somehow.**

 **To Johnny Spectre:**

 **G: Karma is so underplayed.**

 **Don't bring LoL into this.**

 **Yeah… about that… no, the stand in for Mothra is not a part of the marines. The kaiju-zoan for Mothra will play a role later in the story, but not what you'd expect. As for the Kaiju-zoan within the marines… he's teased here, and you probably know who it is already. More of his backstory is on the way.**

 **To anquan:**

 **G: it'll be YEEEEEEEAAAAARRRRRSSSSSS before the next chapter is posted**

 **Ahh I love Dunkey. Glad you liked it!**

 **To hcharper131:**

 **I actually already have the OC in Blackbeard's crew planned out, and it's not that. But the idea you put out is really good! If you ever want to write a One Piece story, use that concept. It sounds great.**

 **G: also that sounds graphic as hell… I love it!**

 **To Matt:**

 **G: I'm not soft!**

 **There's a puppy behind you.**

 **G: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHH I WANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNTTTTTTT- WHAT?! YOU LIED!**

 **We'll see you again next time!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will actually learn to use Genji when going up against Bastion!**

 **G: That robot is straight up Satan. Seriously.**


	25. The 4th brother

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **We have a new opening! Opening 2 will extend from Loguetown to Reverse Mountain, mostly because those 2 arcs are rather short.**

 **(Song: Mad Paced Getter by Tomohisa Sako; better known as Pokemon XY opening #3)**

 _Susume, susume! Kangaetecha osoi kara Kasoku suru omoi wa, denkousekka de Mayotte ru hima nante nai deshou?_

 _(_ _ **The scene start showing a shot of the Going Merry, where the crew was eating breakfast. However, this soon devolved into everybody keeping Luffy away from their food using whatever method they can, much to the annoyance of Sanji.)**_

 _Makenai nigenai yamanai ame nante nai Namida gyutto koraete, kishikaisei Fumidase! Sugu ni hareruya_

 _ **(The scene then shows some of the people that the Strawhats have been close to, such as the cooks from the Baratie, the villagers from Cocoyasi and Letchi, Kaya and the 3 kids from Syrup Village, Mayor Broodle, Coby and other people from Shells Town, the villagers of Foosha, before finally showing the Ibuki-Jinkawa team taking a picture and joined by the newest member of the family, Mohmoo.)**_

 _Butsukariatte Moeru omoi oobaahiito Mayoi haratte Hoero raimei no you ni_

 _ **(Now shows the crew laughing as the Going Merry sails on smoothly, then showing them relaxing on an island sipping on juice.)**_

 _Rikutsu ja nai mirai wo ima Saa, kono te de kirihiraku n da_

 _ **(The scene then cuts to images of a gang of thugs lead by one person with long green hair, then to the Buggy Pirates, before cutting to a white haired marine captain and a blue haired girl. The Strawhats then braced themselves for combat.)**_

 _Getta Banban, Getta Banban, Getta Banban Mada minu mirai e_

 _OH YEAH tachimukatte OH YEAH nando date_

 _ **(The scene shows Luffy lashing out with a punch, Zoro drawing his 3 swords out, Sanji doing a spinning kick, Gian firing an Atom Beam, Usopp shooting a shot from his pachinko and Nami bashing somebody on the head. The scene then shows Luffy grinning as he is tied to an execution stand, then to Gian as his eyes turned amber and the aura of his Full Transformation appears behind him.)**_

 _Getta Banban Getta Banban Getta Banban Hitori ja nai kara_

 _ **(Gian is then shown clashing with the white-haired marine from earlier, with Gian holding a new polearm of sorts, locking weapons with the marine's jitte.)**_

 _OH YEAH tomaranaide OH YEAH Tomo ni ikou kagayaku mirai e_

 _ **(The scene then shows another man wearing a lab coat looking out a window, then back to Gian swinging the weapon down in another clash v.s the marine.)**_

 _1, 2, 3 de junbi okkei! Oikaze ni notte_

 _Gangan tobashite ikou! Mita koto nai sekai e_

 _ **(cuts to an old man wearing a Hawaiian shirt, reading newspaper while sitting on a lawn chair, looking up to see a giant whale bellow. Before the scene cuts to Gian and Triton standing back to back with their Full-Transformations beside them.)**_

 **And now, let's begin!**

" _C'mon you turtle! You're so slow!" a feminine voice called out. It was revealed that a small girl with short black hair wearing a pink dress was running in what appears to be a garden._

 _*pant pant* "How are you faster than me? You have those bulky clothes on you!" another voice called, this time showing a short, slightly chubby boy with black hair and a fancy green frilly shirt, a bit younger than the girl, running slowly after her._

" _Guess you'll never catch me, slowpoke!" the girl teased, before noticing that the boy was on his hands and knees, panting and coughing, her eyes became wide and ran to the boy, seeing if he's alright. But when she got close, she noticed that he had a devious smirk on his face and realized too late that she was tricked as the boy leapt up and tapped her on the arm._

" _Hah! Now you're it!" the boy gloated._

" _That was so cheating! You're always playing so unfairly!" The girl complained._

" _Hey, dad said that to know your enemy you have to get their guard down, so it's your fault!"_

" _That's it! I'm gonna-" the girl growled and tackled the boy to the ground and the two proceeded to wrestle back and forth, shouting at each other before a cough alerted them._

" _Honestly, can I go one day without the two of you getting into a fight?" an older woman scolded the two of them, with the two looking down sheepishly. She was a taller girl, and she was looking at the two sternly._

" _Sorry, Onee-sama… but he/she was being a jerk!" the two apologized meekly before pointing fingers at each other._

" _I don't want to hear it! You shouldn't be so mean to your little brother and you, Gian, need to know that you should play fairly." The woman crossed her arms "Now apologize to each other!"_

 _The two grunted before looking at each other slowly._

" _Sorry that you're so dumb." The boy, now revealed to be a very young Gian, mumbled._

" _And sorry that you're so fat." The girl shot back._

 _The older girl had to giggle at that; they were kids after all! "Ok, let's just leave it at that then. Now let's go back and eat some snacks!" this had the two grinning before following their older sister._

"Wha-?" Gian suddenly sat up with a jolt, a sheen of cold sweat rolling off his forehead. He looked around and realized he was in his bed aboard the Going Merry.

" _That dream again…"_ he thought to himself. Ever since he arrived at Solgell Island, ever so often Gian would have weird dreams of the same people, and sometimes other people would be there too. They come and go periodically, and he could never figure out anything about it. This one was the first in some months, and it was the same 2 girls he's seen appear many more times within the dreams. While the nightmares about the Punk Hazard lab have disappeared mostly by now, this always seems to come back.

" _I really need to see a doctor… it all has to mean something, but what? And why can't I still remember my days before the lab?"_

Gian shook away this thought; maybe the crew will know more about this. He walked out of the living quarters and was immediately slammed into by and excited Luffy.

"Gian! Gian! Get up! Look what we have?"

"Mother… please it's too early for this…" Gian groaned underneath his captain.

"It's actually around 11 in the morning right now." Zoro replied "You woke up later than usual today. The cook saved you a plate in the kitchen, but you should first see what Luffy has."

Gian realized that Luffy was holding 2 pieces of paper, which the strawhat boy handed one to him with excitement. His eyes widened as he recognized what they were.

 **Wanted, Dead or Alive: 'Strawhat' Monkey D. Luffy, 30 million beri.**

 **Wanted, Dead or Alive: 'Beast Warrior' Gian, 16.5 million beri.**

"We're have bounties now…" he realized. That last fiasco at Arlong Park must've been what caused this, not to mention that they roughed up the rodent.

"Yeah! Look at how high it is!" Luffy pointed at his. Gian had to agree; By East Blue standards, 30 million was unheard of. Even his own less impressive 16.5 million was already nearing the high end.

Luffy's wanted poster showed him in his usual wide grin, while his showed the side of his head, one eye glaring at the camera not smiling, and hair being messy. Gian broke into a smile at this; his poster was really badass!

"And I'm on it as well!" Usopp boasted while pointing to a snapshot of the back of his head that ended up on Luffy's wanted poster.

"I still can't believe I didn't get one though…" Sanji muttered.

"Gotta hand it to the photographer, he really captured my spirit with this!" Gian laughed; he's gonna hang this above his bed.

"Can you guys get serious?" Nami shouted from the grove of tangerine trees she brought with her near the back of the ship "this means that people will be coming after us now!"

"Well, that's bound to happen eventually. We're pirates after all." Gian brushed her off.

Nami sighed, accepting her fate. What did she expect from a bunch of knuckleheads?

This left the two wanted men staring proudly at their bounties, with Gian forgetting all about his dream. Gian had to wonder what his family and friends would think of this.

 _Meanwhile:_

"Goro, you're not gonna believe this." Hiroshi Jinkawa rushed into their shared lab back on Solgell. Goro Ibuki looked up from an experiment to see Hiroshi holding two pieces of paper.

"If this is more advertisement for- OH MY GOD!"

"Yeah… I can't believe it either. He actually went and became a pirate."

"Even so… 16.5 million?! What did he do that's got him this much?" The average pirate in East Blue had around 8-10 million on average. Anything past that usually meant that the pirate is a major threat.

"That, I'm not sure, but Gian's picture is really nice, don't you think?"

"Heh, he always does like posing in pictures." Goro grinned lightly. To be completely honest, he was glad that Gian was having fun out there. What he's concerned about is, if his bounty is only 16.5 million, what did the captain do that was so much that the World Government had to give him a bounty of 30 million? The boy looks like such a happy-go-lucky person…

He was jostled from his thoughts when Rokuro burst into the lab "Nii-san! Nii-san look what I found!"

Following the little boy out, Goro's eyes bugged out of his head when he saw a large sea cow bobbing in the shallows. Jet Jaguar was currently giving it a look over.

"What's a large animal like that doing outside of the Grand Line?" Hiroshi asked. Goro didn't answer, because Jet Jaguar approached him with another piece of paper.

" _ **Sir, I Have Found This Letter That The Animal Was Carrying. I Believe You'll Find The Contents Within To Be Very Interesting."**_

Goro opened the envelope, and had to do a double take.

 _ **To my good brothers, and you Jaguar.**_

 _ **This is Mohmoo, a sea cow from the Grand Line. It was previously the slave of a group of fishmen pirates, but after me, my captain, and our crew liberated the island, I kind of took the cow under my own ownership. Oh, that's right. I have to tell you that I've joined a pirate crew. Now before you start thinking that I'm going on pillages ever second day, I'll have you know that Monkey D. Luffy is not what you'd expect as a captain. Hell, this entire crew is nothing like the pirates in your mind. So don't worry about me, I'm doing fine.**_

 _ **Which brings us to the topic of the cow. Due to us heading into the Grand Line in a few weeks' time, it needs a place to stay. Here is the only place I could think of. Don't be afraid, it's pretty gentle unless you make it mad, but you're smarter than that right? So please keep it around. It only eats as much as I do on a normal day and it's very playful, so Rokuro-kun will have lots of fun with it.**_

 _ **P.S don't even think about disagreeing, Goro. You have no say in the matter after almost sending me to the bottom of the ocean. This is your retribution. Also the Seismic Treads are out of commission. That has nothing to do with the previous statement but I thought you'd like to know, sorry about that.**_

 _ **I miss you all.**_

 _ **Gian**_

Goro sighed sheeplishly. He knew he made a mistake on that craft somewhere…

"Can we keep it? Can we?" Rokuro alerted the other men as they saw him happily playing atop the big sea cow, Mohmoo swaying its head contently. Goro chuckled.

"Well… what's another mouth to feed?"

 _Faraway in the New World:_

"Hawk Eyes? What are you doing here?" a group of pirates asked nervously.

"I'm here to see your captain. Show me where he is." When he saw that he was deep into the forest, he sighed and walked forwards.

Eventually he arrived at a clearing, where 5 other pirates were camped around.

"Hawkyyyyy! It's been so long since you last come to see me! Care for a drink?" 'Red Hair' Shanks held up a cup, clearly hung over.

"Put that aside, and look at this. I think you'll be pretty pleased with yourself." Mihawk snorted and held up two wanted posters.

Shanks stared blearily at the two pieces of paper, before breaking off into a huge smile and laughed towards the sky.

"DAHAHAHA! Luffy's a pirate now! Gian's a pirate now! Guess you aren't leaving now Hawky!"

"Well, I was right. Pay up everyone." Triton gloated.

"Nobody bet against you that day, Sail-head!" Yasopp snarked from the side.

"Alright! I'm feeling great! Let's Party! Give Hawky a cup as well!" Shanks shouted jubilantly. Mihawk glowered at the drunk Yonko and once again wondered why he knew him.

Triton, on the other hand, was staring at Gian's wanted poster with pride.

" _You're getting stronger Gian. Soon you'll surpass them all."_

 _Back with the Strawhats:_

"OK! Now that we're back together, let's go to the Grand Line!" Luffy cheered.

"To do that, we'll have to pass through Reverse Mountain, that's the only way in," Nami explained.

"Gian, you came through the Grand Line to reach East Blue, is there any other way there?" Zoro asked.

"I don't believe so, no. there are multiple exits, but as far as I remember that's the only way into it." The kaiju-zoan user explained.

"It is also very dangerous from what I've heard. Not many people actually make it up the mountain." Sanji added.

"Then we'll just go up front!" Luffy shrugged.

"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING?!" Nami snapped.

"But first, I believe we should get some meat for the trip!"

"Oh my god… He's actually making sense for once!" Gian and Usopp both mentioned incredulously, which Luffy stuck his tongue out at them.

"Well, close to Reverse Mountain there is one island where people normally go to get supplies before they leave for the Grand Line. It's called-"

"Loguetown. It's the only large town in that area." Gian answered for her.

"Oh…yeah, you know the place, don't you?" Sanji remembered.

"Yep, I and my adopted family go there for a while every so often. We have a second home there and everything, in fact they're actually from the place."

"That's good, you probably know a lot about Loguetown then." Nami deduced.

"Yup, know it more than my backyard. Loguetown is perhaps most famous for being the birthplace of Gold Roger, better known as the former Pirate King, as well as the site of his execution."

That sparked Luffy's interest.

"I would like to see that, the Man who owned One Piece, the place where he was born and where he died."

"Then go we shall, we do need supplies after all" Gian's expression then got serious "However, take it from me. We go in, get whatever sightseeing/gather we have to do, then get the hell out of there as fast as possible. Don't attract unnecessary attention, and don't wander off, got it?"

"Why so cautious?" Zoro asked.

"Smoker." Was the only word that the kaiju-zoan user uttered.

"The marine captain you sent Deimo-san to see? Is he dangerous?" Nami asked.

"Dangerous is an understatement. Ever since he was posted there, no pirate that entered has ever gotten out. Did you know that in the old days, Loguetown was the go-to location for pirates to gather and stock up before heading to the Grand Line? Now they avoid it like the plague. These days it's just the commercial ships that go there."

This slightly unnerved the crew.

"D-Do we really have to go there?" Usopp stammered.

"Well… we do need supplies…" Nami mumbled.

"It's fine, as long as we are quick we can possibly get out before he notices we're here." Gian assured everybody "Also I happen to know him well enough to hopefully buy us some time to get away. Just know one thing. If you encounter him, don't bother fighting, just run."

"He's really that strong? What makes him different from the other marines we've met?" Sanji asked.

"Trust me, when you find out it'll be too late. Seriously, how the man is still only a captain is beyond me. It's up to you Luffy, do you still want to go." Gian finshed his explanation.

"Yes, even if there's danger, I want to see where the Pirate King died."

"Then that's settled. We're going, but please be careful."

 _Later:_

Loguetown was an antique looking city build from old cobblestone and gave a nostalgic feeling when approaching it. Indeed, it is the biggest town the crew has seen since the start of their journey. Everybody, minus Gian since he's seen it all before, was in awe at what it contained.

"This town is so big!" Luffy shouted in amazement.

"Yup, it's perhaps the largest non-kingdom city in East Blue. There are lots of shops, restaurants, and entertainment here. You can get just about anything." Gian informed.

"Then I should probably go look for some cool things!" Usopp mentioned.

"Right, where are we all headed? Just remember that we have to be quick." Gian reminded them.

"I want to go get some clothes." Nami said.

"Well you and Usopp seemed to have it easy. There are many shops within the town you're bound to find something."

"I will go and stock up on more food for the journey" Sanji answered "And maybe meet some pretty ladies too!"

"…Ignoring that last part, the food market is to the right of us."

"And I want to go see where the Pirate King was executed!" Luffy mentioned excitedly.

"The execution platform huh? It's at the center of town, you can't miss it. And please Luffy, don't do anything stupid here." Gian had to put extra emphasis on that point.

"I don't exactly need anything… oh wait, is there a weapons shop anywhere around here? I need to get two replacement swords." Zoro asked.

"In that case I'll go with you. The weapons shop is near where I want to go as well. With that, everybody has a place to go then?" Gian confirmed with everybody "Good, then make sure we meet back at the Merry in 45 minutes, and last but not least, do not draw too much attention to yourself."

 _Later:_

"So where exactly are you headed? You seem like you're really eager for this." Zoro asked while the two of them walked towards the weapons store.

"I'm here to see my brother." Gian gave a simple reply "That and I have to return these." He mentioned again and held out the ruined Seismic Treads.

"The shoes, I can understand but I thought you only had 3 brothers? And they're all back at that island you lived on?"

"Oh right, I forgot to mention this before. This guy doesn't live with us since he actually works on the island, but we go visit him every month or so. He and Goro were the first two people I met." Gian replied, still smiling.

"Must be nice to have family in so many places." Zoro nodded.

"Pretty much, yeah. Oh look, we're here."

The weapons shop is a plain old store, situated between a few buildings. Gian entered first and immediately called out a greeting.

"Guess who's back!"

A short, middle aged man emerged from the counter. The man had a blue shirt and an arching hair style. His face it up when he saw who it is.

"Gian, my boy! You haven't visited in so long! Finally decided to buy a sword?"

"You know me old man, can't use a sword to save my life."

"Hmph, you and your brothers are all the same. Always liking your inventions instead of taking enjoyment on simple weapons."

"Oh, come off it. I did bring you a customer though!" Gian mentioned and usher Zoro into the store "Whatever you need, Ippon-Matsu will help you out!"

"Yeah, you sell swords here right?" Zoro asked.

"Well, what we have is all on the shelves. Go take a look."

"Hmmm… what can 100 000 beri get me?" Zoro asked.

Ippon-Matsu deadpanned "Seriously, Gian? The guy you introduced me only has that much money?"

"Don't blame me, our navigator taxes us daily."

Somewhere else Nami suddenly had to urge to strangle someone.

"Ugh, fine. There are a few katanas by the bin over there that are about 50 000 beri each. Maybe one of those will do. You're fortunate you're my first customer in a long time, who goes shopping for swords with just that much money?"

Just then the door opened, revealing a blue haired bespectacled girl wearing a floral shirt and blue pants.

"Hi, I've come to pick up Shigure, is it ready yet?"

"Oh, it's you. Yeah I've finished sharpening it. Take it and leave." Ippon-Matsu sniffed and tossed a green handled katana at the girl, who barely caught the thing and tripped over, alerting the other two men. A hint of worry blossomed within Gian as he recognized who she was.

"She's still kind of a klutz, isn't she?" Gian observed.

"Hmph, considering who she works for, that's something to be surprised over."

"Yeah, well I'm gonna head off now. You'll be fine by yourself then will you- um, are you ok?" Gian went to call Zoro, only to see that the green-haired swordsman was wide-eyed when he's looking at the girl. He only barely noticed Gian waving in front of his face.

"Yo, dude are you on drugs or something?"

"Kuina…" Zoro muttered.

"I don't know why you're talking about birds here but I have to leave, so-"

"Oh my, is that Wado Ichimonji?" The girl stared at the sword strapped to Zoro's hip. "That's one of the 21 O Wazamono Grade swords! It's a Meito! Can I take a closer look?"

"Um…"

"How does a guy like him have something like that?" the shop owner asked.

"You'll have to ask him, also I see you're still so interested in swords, Tashigi."

The girl heard her name called and turned and broke off into a smile.

"Gian! When did you get back?"

"Just now actually, is Chaser still pushing you hard?"

"You know he hates that name…" Tashigi giggled.

"Yeah well, I live on his hate." Gian grinned " _Guess she hasn't seen my wanted poster yet."_

"Gian, who is she?" Zoro asked.

"Oh, where are my manners. Master Chief Petty Officer Tashigi, at your service!"

"She's a marine?!" Zoro furiously directed this at Gian.

"Ok, I forgot that Smoker has subordinates, but this one is kinda ditzy so we have a better chance." Gian whispered back.

Zoro glowered at that. "And you're seriously willing to take that chance?"

"Hey I didn't know she was gonna show up here. Well, I hope that you can find that sword you want, I'm gonna go do my thing now, so see you later! Make sure you don't get lost!" Gian's expression dropped "No, seriously. Don't get lost." And he left the store laughing as Zoro cussed at him.

As he continued to walk along the stone path, Gian had to stop and observe everything. This place truly is the Town of Beginning and End, for this is where his life and East Blue started, and probably the final place he goes before leaving for the Grand Line.

" _My life with my family started here, it's where I met them all, for the first time."_

 **Flashback:**

" _We're dropping you off here, you ok with that?" the captain of the storage ship informed him as they docked at the port of Loguetown._

" _Yeah, sure. Thanks for bringing me here."_

 _Gian's new life was about to start, the 15 year old looked around the large city as he wondered where he should head next. There is so much opportunities now, he can go anywhere in East Blue. But first he needed some food._

" _Just about 2000 beri. Should be enough to cover tonight's dinner." He thought to himself as he counted the money the captain has given him. But before he could go anywhere, somebody bumped into him and scattered all the bills he had._

" _Oh no!" Gian frantically began picking them up. Due to him having his head down, he didn't notice another person step in front of him until he heard a grunt of pain and saw another boy, not much older than he is, on the ground rubbing his butt._

" _Yeah, it's not like I have important machines on me right now…" the boy muttered._

" _Sorry… I'm trying to pick up my stuff there so I didn't see you."_

" _It's fine. I should probably not have carried so much things with me. Here, I'll help you."_

 _After they've gathered up all the scattered bills along with the other boy's mechanical devices, the two finally sat down to talk to each other._

" _Well, that's something for a first impression now isn't it? I'm Goro by the way, Goro Ibuki, you might know me as the 'Hotshot inventor' that's taking East Blue by storm!" the boy that we know as Goro boasted._

"… _nope, sorry I just got here today." Gian snickered, causing Goro to facefault._

" _Well, it's nice to meet you anyway. What's your name?"_

" _Gian, and like I said, I've never been to East Blue before."_

" _I guess I'll welcome you to Loguetown then, I'm here helping one of my friends. How about the two of us have dinner? I'll pay even, or actually my friend will!"_

 _Later that evening, Gian was introduced to Kenichi Yamane, Goro's good friend, and the 3 of them had some great conversations over some fried rice. Both people took a liking to the boy and Gian likewise found the two very interesting. Of course, there was still the million beri question._

" _So Gian-kun, where are you going to go from now on?" Ken asked him._

" _I… don't know yet… I don't have a family, I'm not familiar with anyone here, and I'm honestly at a loss right now."_

" _Wait, you're saying you have no one?" Goro repeated._

" _Yeah, my entire life was in the… on the boat." Gian stuttered, he doesn't think it's a good idea to tell these people the truth yet._

 _Goro was deep in thought. Then he sighed and revealed something as well._

" _The only people that are with me is a close friend and my 2 year old brother. We got lonely sometimes. Let me ask you a question. Are you good with machines?"_

 _Gian was taken aback "Uhhhhh… never handled one before. But I'm willing to learn."_

" _Then that'll have to do. How about you come live with us?"_

" _Y-You sure that's not a hassle? I don't-"_

" _Hey, just having 3 people on the island really gets boring. We could use another friendly face as well as an assistant. So don't feel obligated to come, I want this." Goro replied nonchalantly._

" _Then… thank you…" Gian was touched by the gesture "I promise I'll be as much help as I can. Are you coming as well Ken?"_

" _Actually, I live in town, so I don't live with Goro-san. He does come by every so often, so I'm sure we'll see each other again!" Ken informed him._

" _I'll look forward to that." Gian had the biggest smile on his face; he finally has a family!_

 **Flashback end:**

And just like that, Gian arrived at where he wanted to go; Kenichi Yamane's office is a regular one near the marine outpost with a neon sign posted at the top. Sporting a big grin, Gian was about to knock when he suddenly stopped. Someone is nearby.

"You sure have a lot of nerve showing up back here, punk." A deep gravelly voice growled out.

Gian gained a straight face and turned to see the owner of the voice. Said person is an imposing, tall man with white hair and blue pants wearing a grey coat with a green fur collar. There was a handheld weapon called a jitte strapped to his back. The man is leaning against the wall of an opposing building, smoking 2 cigars at once. He gave a hard glare at the 23 year old Kaiju-zoan user.

This man is Smoker the White Hunter, marine captain of Loguetown. He is perhaps the last person Gian wanted to run into right now.

"Well, here you are. I guess I couldn't avoid you forever, Chaser."

Smoker narrowed his eyes at that. The nickname was given to him when they first brought Rokuro to the island 5 years ago. The little boy had asked what the marine captain does for a living, his older brother Goro replied that he chases pirates.

Which resulted in that coming out of the boy's mouth. This he normally wouldn't have minded, but he draws the line when the then 18 year old Gian began calling him that. It's stuck since, and now he just says it to piss him off.

"Anyway, what's new these days?" the annoyance asked.

"You tell me, after all you've been in lots of events these past few days now, haven't you?" the marine captain strode closer.

"What can I say? You run into lots of things while you're on the sea and-"

"Cut me the bullshit, Gian!" Smoker snarled and slammed a piece of paper to the wall beside Gian, who didn't even flinch "Don't think I don't know what you're doing out there! And you have the guts to show up in my town again?" the marine drew the jitte and rested it on Gian's shoulder.

"Now why shouldn't I capture you right here?"

"You're taking your job seriously… I like that. But before I go anywhere with you, I got to go see my brother. What what Ken say if he heard his good bro Gian was on the island and was arrested before even visiting him?"

"You're a pirate, Gian! How do you think your family would feel?"

"Hmmm, Goro and Hiroshi would probably be pretty curious about it, seeing as they always wanted to sail. Ken might be a bit concerned due to his connections with the World Government but he'll get over it and support me either way. As for Rokuro-kun he'd probably brag about his big brother being a hotshot rookie and beating up other pirates left and right." Gian gave a cheeky smile.

Smoker gave the meanest stink eye he could at the youth "Still a smart ass, I see. You're fortunate your brother's office is right behind you. How Rokuro-kun doesn't get turned criminal by the 4 of you is beyond me." Seriously, the 4 of them together were absolute hellions!

"It just goes to show you I have great taste in relatives."

"Go to hell, you got 20 minutes brat! Then I'm going after you and the rest of your crewmates. I'm sure Monkey D. Luffy is on the island somewhere too?"

"You'll have to find him first."

"That I can assure you. Don't waste your time, it's all you have." With that Smoker walked off, before turning back with a much more formal expression.

"By the way, thanks for the package."

"Oh yeah, the rodent. I assume he's in good hands now?"

"On a ship towards Impel Down, convicted of accepting bribes, abuse of power and hoarding wealth. He won't last a day there."

"I knew I could count on you!"

"Flattery won't get you anything, punk!" and then he left.

" _That went well"_ Gian mused " _then we just have to leave before he gets back."_

But first he had a brother to check up on! Gian gave a few quick knocks, he could barely contain his excitement!

"Yeah, Yeah, I got your machines and-" the door opened and there revealed a skinny youth wearing a black t-shirt and glasses. The kid looked up and has a shocked expression on his face.

"G-Gian?"

"Hey Ken, long time no see."

 _Inside:_

"Do you know how dangerous this is?! Smoker is literally two steps away from you!" Kenichi Yamane shouted at his adopted 4th brother. Ever since they met those years ago, the constant visits have made them understand each other a lot more. That doesn't mean that he doesn't worry about his brothers though, after all Gian is known to be rather reckless.

"Yeah, I saw him just a few seconds ago actually. I'm surprised he took so long actually."

"Gian this isn't a joke! Don't you understand how risky this is? You have this now!" Ken then pulled out the wanted poster, clearly illustrating everything. "You're a wanted man! You can't just show up wherever you want and expect to get away scotch free!"

"Being wanted isn't going to stop me from seeing you. Even Smoker understands that." Gian sighed.

"You're stubborn to a fault you know that?"

"Somebody has to be. Though from now on, I'm probably going to be around less, considering where I'm going. So you mind giving these to Goro-san the next time he comes around?" Gian held out the Seismic treads.

"Holy hell… what did you do to them?" Ken asked incredulously.

"Well, if I told you a giant lobster grabbed me by my legs and tossed me around, would you believe me?"

"… I don't want to know. But yeah, I'll take these off your hands. Hopefully Goro can get them fixed." Ken smiled softly "It's good to see you again."

"Likewise." And with that, the two brothers finally got a familial embrace.

"I still can't believe you're a pirate now though, of all the things you'd do, I actually didn't expect this."

"Fate is a funny lady, Ken. One day I ran into a carefree rubber boy and I got swept into all of this. It's a pretty crazy time."

"Monkey D. Luffy huh? Yeah I saw his poster too. Did you know he's got the higher ups talking all over?" Ken revealed. As a scientist that occasionally works for the World Government, he has access to some of the information. He then sighed "I'm never gonna have a chance with Tashigi now… when she finds out you're a pirate…"

Gian laughed. Kenichi Yamane has had a small crush on the blue haired swordswoman for quite some times now "Well I'm sorry you're not gonna get laid anytime soon, but there are other fish in the sea, right?"

"Yeah, I know. Besides, I never had a chance with her to begin with. It turns out she has a boyfriend already."

"…Seriously? She never told any of us before…"

"Yeah, apparently she kept it a secret for a while until Smoker found out one day. I don't know who the guy is but apparently he's a big shot within the marines, good looking too. So that path is gone. But hope is not lost! Apparently Dr. Vegapunk has a cute new assistant that-"

"Ok! Didn't come here to hear about your failed love life!" Gian cut in. "By the way, me being a pirate doesn't affect your position in any way, does it?" he asked again, concerned.

"Nah, Smoker told me they don't know anything else about you, other than the fact that you're a part of the Strawhat Pirates. They don't know about your past either, or your relationship with Goro, which is good considering he's a-"

Ken suddenly stopped himself, which prompted Gian to raise an eyebrow.

"Um… where you going to say something?"

"Forget it, it's not important. Anyway after hearing about your exploits, I made you something that will help you on your adventure!"

Kenichi lead Gian to the back of his office, where Gian could see a door with mist billowing from it.

"Now, I don't know how good you are with weapons, so you might need some practice, but I hope this suits you!"

The door is opened, and when the smoke cleared there revealed a 3 meter long pole arm, with the tip being a 12 inch blade. A guard in the shape of the head of Gian's Full Transformation was at the base of the blade, while the weapon itself is a dark grey-silver color. The staff portion has the kanji for 'Kaiju' carved onto it.

"You made this? I thought you were only good with machines and chemistry?" Gian stared at it amazed.

"Well, I had some help crafting it but I designed the thing. Do you like it?" Ken grinned, rather proud of himself.

"Do I like it? Is water wet? This is amazing! Thank you so much!" Gian reached out to observe it further, running his hands all over the cool steel. But then his hands touched the blade.

It was that instant, that Gian felt all the strength disappear from his body. His knees felt weak and he collapse to the floor. Kenichi had a "Are you kidding me?" expression on his face

"Wh-what did you do to this?" Gian choked out.

"You're still so casual with handling things I see…" Kenichi sighed "Since you're going to the Grand Line, I figured you're gonna encounter some Devil Fruit users, so I laced the blade with Kairoseiki. Who knows when it comes in handy?"

"Kairoseki… where did you get that?" Gian rasped.

"Dude… I'm a scientist, they literally give me this by the buckets to experiment on. Now that you- WILL YOU TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF THE BLADE?!"

"Sorry." Gian grinned sheepishly.

"Anyways, now that you got this, test it out a little."

Gian obliged, and spun the weapon around in a few circles; it felt very smooth and natural. Though he's more of a hand-to-hand brawler, he has used a regular Bo staff before, and figured it couldn't be that different. From swinging it around, he figured that the weapon weighs about 35 kilograms; perfect for heavy strikes like the ones he throws time and time again.

"I like it." He grinned.

"Great, now how about we-" whatever Ken was about to say was cut off when the shattering of a window could be heard, followed by laughter and taunts. The two raced out to the front of the lab to see a brick with the image of a ring with wings on it. Gian's anger flared up; they both knew exactly who this is.

"Those bastards are still coming around here?" he growled.

"Unfortunately… even though Captain Smoker has a watchful eye on the city, Bartolomeo's gang still cause trouble before he could do anything…" Ken has a saddened expression.

Gian's fist tightened around the polearm. Bartolomeo is a notorious gangster that has multiple towns under his control. He would've locked down Loguetown as well if it weren't for a certain marine captain, but apparently that isn't enough to deter him. Gian and his family has had multiple run-ins with the group, and their history runs deep.

"Then I'm paying them a visit. It's a good opportunity to test this baby out as well."

"Gian, you can't! Smoker only gave you so long! You have to leave the town!"

"And watch those hellions continue to pressure you? Not a chance!" ignoring more prostest from Ken, Gian raced out of the building, intent on tracking down those who dare torment his family.

" _Bartolomeo… you really crossed the line this time!"_

 **A/N: And the beginning of Loguetown Arc is here! So like I said, this arc will be more Gian focused than before, and explores some of the relationships he's formed within the first few years of arriving in East Blue. You already seen some of it, and next chapter will contain more of it. I don't know how I'll get this all in just 2 chapters, but we'll see what happens. By the way, this story now has over 100 reviews! Thank you so much for the feedback! It makes feel great knowing people like the story!**

 **G: Also, thanks for the new toy!**

 **No problem. For those people who are asking, Gian's weapon in this chapter is based off of the Green Crescent Dragon Blade that Guan Yu uses in Romance of the 3 Kingdoms. It's a classic Chinese epic, and a great read if you're into that stuff. You might further know of it if you've played Dynasty Warriors.**

 **So, that's all I have to say here. We'll see you next time!**

 **Responses to reviews:**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **Yeah… I guess it is kind of predictable.**

 **G: You're terrible with teasers.**

 **Shut it. And yes, that OC is going to play a very major role further down the line.**

 **To Johnny Spectre:**

 **Not revealing anything yet, but not quite. His relationship with Akainu is not exactly an amiable one.**

 **G: we got drama!**

 **Sort of, more to come when it happens.**

 **To anquan:**

 **If you haven't figured it out already…**

 **G: get with it!**

 **To omegadramon2:**

 **Girl. I'm gonna keep that similar to the monsters themselves. And I'll tell you this much. The OC revealed last chapter has a lot of interaction with Smoker's group.**

 **G: Also thanks for the enjoyment of the story!**

 **To Vergil Leonidas:**

 **Glad that joke worked! You're actually funny for once Gian!**

 **G: Thanks i- HEY!**

 **Also glad the added dialogue worked. Like I said I originally planned some of it for chapter 23 but forgot to add them.**

 **To hcharper131:**

 **Well I'm gonna constantly reminding you of it. JK, but I'll see.**

 **G: He has a spinoff in his mind right now, but not what you'd expect.**

 **And that's that! Leave a review and Gian will install Pokemon Go!**

 **G: WHERE IS MEWTWO?!**


	26. A new chapter in history

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **(Song: Mad Paced Getter by Tomohisa Sako)**

In a dark alley, a group of men were sitting around, grinning smugly as they waited. They are sure that he took the bait. These people were your average thugs and cooks, but it is their boss that was something much more.

The man leading them is a tall lanky person with green hair, a scornful look on his face. He is wearing a brown colored coat, exposing his chest and the same tattoo from earlier marked on it. Many piercings dotted his ears.

This gang has come in much conflict with Kenichi Yamane. To them, the young scientist's vast trove of inventions is a complete gold mine for them. This has earned them the wrath of those close to him, but they really could care less.

Indeed, the person they were waiting for soon showed up, clutching the bladed weapon and glaring daggers at the group.

"You finally came! It was rather rude of you not to tell me you were back! I wanted to give you a personal welcome-dabe!" the green haired gangster snarked.

"Don't worry, I've been dying to see you, Bartolomeo." Gian growled.

"Hey now, is this about the window? Ken-boy needed that, all that gloom inside the building with no sunshine would make him a dull boy, now wouldn't it?" Bartolomeo sneered, he knew exactly what buttons to push.

"Your bones are what's gonna be broken, you've perstered Ken for long enough! I'm not standing for it much longer!" Gian shouted and raised his Guandao towards the green haired man.

"Oh, is that so? You're welcome to try! I'll even let you take the first hit!"

Gian roared and dashed forward, throwing his left fist forwards. Bartolomeo simply stood there, the sneer still plastered on his face. Sure enough Gian's fist collided with an unseen object, the young man grimacing as he felt the bones in his fist crack, inches from Bart's face. A translucent glass like object separating the two of them.

"You never learn! **Barrier Crash!"**

Bartolomeo flicked his hand forwards and Gian felt himself getting pushed backwards, ignoring the laughter of the other gangsters, Gian tried to force his weight against the moving barrier. When he realized that that wouldn't work, he hastily vaulted over the barrier, watching the projection slam into a nearby wall. Gian glared at the laughing group of thugs as the bones in his hands healed.

" _Maybe it's time to test this thing out."_ Gian thought as he glared wearily towards the gangster. When Bartolomeo projected another barrier forwards, Gian managed to jump over and bring the blade down in an overhead swing. It would've cut into the gangster's head had he not created another barrier, moments before the blade struck.

"Damn you… that weapon makes me feel sick to my stomach…. It has kairoseki in it doesn't it?!" Bartolomeo growled.

"Good to see you aren't completely braindead, I'm guessing you know what it does?" Gian grinned sadistically.

"That nerd gave it to you didn't he? Well, you better think again if you believe you can hit me with that!"

Gian swung the blade again, with Bartolomeo protecting himself with another barrier.

"Don't think I don't know what seastone does to devil fruit users like me. However, that doesn't apply if you can't actually hit me with it!"

"Then stop hiding you coward!" Gian snarled. Bartolomeo was one the only people that could get him worked up, and he hated it.

"Heh, if you say so-dabe! **Barrier Bulls!** "

Another glass-like sheet, this time curved like a bulldozer, barreled forward with a much stronger force, Gian gritted his teeth as the projection forced itself harder against him. His eyes flashing amber as he used as much strength he could.

"What's that Gian-boy? You gonna go monster on us again? Come on then!" Bartolomeo taunted.

" _No… not after last time…"_ Gian thought. Once before, he had been so angry during a clash with the gang leader that it got to the point where he did a Partial Transformation, just as Smoker and his men managed to arrive. What's worse, was that his adopted family also saw the incident. Gian ended up getting detained for a week, and he having to explain why he could do such a thing to Goro-san was not the best day of his life; he can still remember the horrified expressions on their faces.

Instead, the two were in a deadlock, one forcing the barrier forward, while the other strained against it. It seems that nothing was going anywhere. That is until…

 **BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG**

Multiple gunshots sounded, alerting the gang members and forcing the two to separate. Bartolomeo has a displeased look on his face, while Gian had a more relaxed one.

"So, you goons have shown up in town again, have ya? Guess you always seemed to like getting licked…" a deep voice growled, the two men looked up to see a man whose attire is similar to that of a cowboy's, hat, boots, everything. Naturally, a cowboy has a gun, and in this case the man has plenty. Flintlock after Flintlocks are strapped to parts of his body.

"I guess we'll just have to teach you a lesson the only way we know, right Gian?"

"Fine by me, Father." Gian grinned. Daddy Masterson, bounty hunter and former marine ensign, is a rather famous individual in Loguetown, and a sharpshooter that is perhaps second to only Yasopp of the Red Hair Pirates.

"So now even Daddy the Father is trying to stick himself into things he has no business in!" Bartolomeo growled

"By the way, how did you find me?" Gian asked.

"You'll have to thank Kenichi-kun for that. I learned a lot of things from him, like how your recent escapades got you the attention of Smoker. Well that I got after seeing your wanted poster, but by then it was already spreading around."

"Hey now, you're not gonna try to turn me in, will ya?"

"Heh, my days as an ensign are over, so I'll leave that to the professionals. You're a big kid now, you're old enough to make your own decisions. I don't support your lifestyle but I'll still look out for ya." The bounty hunter smirked.

"Good to hear, now let them have it!" Gian charged forward.

"Get them!" Bartolomeo commanded, and the goons rushed forwards, expecting an easy takedown. What they got instead was knocked up on their asses by Gian's powerful strikes, or fired upon by Daddy's rain of bullets.

* * *

In 2 minutes the only ones left were Bartolomeo, his right hand man Gambia and a handful of underlings.

"Dammit… you two are pissing me off..."

"It's what happens when you mess with those close to me." Gian growled.

Just then, the two could hear footsteps and the panting of certain people. They turned to see 3 familiar figures running towards them. One of them was Usopp, the other was Kenichi. They were accompanied by a little girl with blond hair.

"Papa, you shouldn't run off so fast!" the girl asked.

"Heh heh, sorry sweety." Daddy patted her head. The girl giggled then turned to the younger man.

"Gian-nii!" she yelled happily and ran to the man.

"Hey, Carol" Gian smiled and picked her up "You grew taller."

"*huff huff… Hey, wait for me…Oh, Gian you're here too!" Usopp panted.

"Looks like you boys know each other." Daddy pointed out.

"Oh, Usopp, I see you met Daddy Masterson, did you know that he once-"

"Dueled my dad, I know! Even though he lost, the fact that they knew each other is amazing! We were having a competition of marksmanship ourselves when your friend showed up telling us you were in trouble! Who are these guys?" Usopp asked as he shakily raised his pachinko.

"They… are a bunch of lowlives who have nothing better to do than to pick on those weaker than them. Now I can't stop them, but they messed with Ken and that is more than enough reason to mess them up."

"Hey now, that's rather hurtful Gian! I'm just living my own life here!" Bart called out from the side.

"Gian, you're not hurt are you?" Ken ased, concerned.

"Dude… I don't get hurt remember?" Gian grinned back "By the way Usopp, this is Kenichi Yamane, him, and my other 3 brothers is pretty much my entire family."

"Good to meet you Ken! I'm Captain Usopp, Gian's direct superior!" Usopp boasted while he shook his hand.

"You sure have some interesting friends, Gian." Ken laughed.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't." Gian smiled, before turning his attention back to Bartolomeo "time to finish what I started."

But before anyone can move, they heard a large group of people running towards the center of town. Now this wouldn't be surprising on a regular day, but it was what they said that sent chills down Gian and Usopp's spines.

* * *

"Have you heard? Apparently there's an execution!"

"Yeah, I don't know why they would hold one, but they are!"

"Some kid with a straw hat is tied up and about to be beheaded!"

* * *

"S-straw hat?" Usopp yelped.

"That's Luffy! What is he- Goddammit I told him not to do anything stupid!" Gian cursed.

"Seems like something's bothering you guys." Daddy noticed.

"Yeah, our captain got himself into something… We got to go."

"I see, well I suppose you won't be back for a while then if the two of you are heading to the Grand Line, that's what Usopp-kun told me, but if that's the case, then I'll wish you the best of luck on your journey."

"Bye Gian-nii! I'll miss you!" Carol called out.

"Yeah, thanks you two. Ken, tell Goro-san not to worry about me, ok?"

"Yeah, don't worry just do what you have to do? I'll miss you, brother."

The two shared one more hug together before Gian sent one more glare at Bartolomeo.

"I'll let you off with a warning this time, don't let me hear about you troubling Ken again! Let's go Usopp" Gian snapped as he ran off.

"R-right!"

The two then dashed towards the town square, leaving behind the rest. Bartolomeo blinked a few times before nodding at his underlings and tagging behind them. This left the remaining 3 people looking on.

"I see that Gian and that Monkey D. Luffy are really close." Daddy pointed out.

"It's obvious, these people know his story and not only did they believe it, they trust him completely." Ken nodded "To them, they're just like a family to him. And as we all know, those that mess with the ones he call family, will wish they haven't."

 _Meanwhile:_

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M GETTING EXECUTED?!"

What a strange turn of events this is.

Monkey D. Luffy is currently locked in a scaffold, his hands and head between two wooden boards. Originally he had just planned to take a look at the platform itself, perhaps some of Gold Roger's sense of adventure would've rubbed off on him. Unfortunately, he was intercepted by some old enemies. A large crowd of people had begun to gather, all watching the boy.

"It's exactly what it sounds like you rubber bastard!" Buggy the Clown cackled "I'm putting on a show for everyone to see!" It had been some years since he was last here; the last time he was in Loguetown was a rather… depressing day. After his embarrassing defeat, Buggy had been plotting his revenge, eagerly waiting for the day that he runs into the crew that shamed him back at Orange Town. Lo and behold, here was the straw hat bastard, which means that the rest of his crew will be here too!

And just like that, he could hear voices coming from one of the alleys that led to the execution platform, his eyes lit up when he saw that it was the black haired guy with the healing powers, along with a long nosed kid, probably a new member.

"What do you think you're doing to Luffy?!" Gian roared. The sky had begun to darken by the time he arrived at the center of town. Large grey clouds were rolling in. They need to get this over with before anything else happens.

"What does it look like you healing bastard?" Buggy laughed "Don't think you can try to stop me now!"

"Usopp, get back to the ship, I'll get him out." The sniper nodded quickly before heading for the docks.

Immediately after he said this, Gian was intercepted by a swinging object. He swiftly raised his own weapon to block. The two metal weapons smacked together with loud CLANG.

"Sorry there sweety but let the boys talk it out themselves." A voice rang, and Gian looked up an incredibly beautiful woman, wearing a cowgirl's hat and a purple coat. He was about to introduce himself, before he remembered that his captain still needed his help.

"Sorry beautiful, but I gotta go to work."

"Come on now, this isn't how a reunion is supposed to work." The woman stated before swining the mace down again, only for Gian to jump over.

"Hmmm? I don't believe we've met." Gian pointed out.

"You too? Must be a trait for strong men to be dense… Does the name Alvida ring any bells?" it turns out that this goddess is actually the very first pirate that he and Luffy encountered on their journey! Only this time she wasn't morbidly obese anymore, she now had the figure most women would kill for.

"I remember another woman named Alvida, but she wasn't you so cut the bullshit and let me get to my captain." Gian snapped; inside his mind however, his head was spinning as he tried to process the information. This transformation is almost too exaggerated! How did she lose all that weight?! Even the most extreme diets couldn't get that much results in just a mere few weeks!

"Well, believe it or not it's up to you. The point is that I've joined up with this nice man to try to find Monkey D. Luffy. And it looks like luck has given me not just him, but you as well!" Alvida smirked and brought the mace down in another smash, forcing Gian on the defensive again.

"Then I have to apologize, pretty lady but we need to leave." Gian lash a kick out at the woman, only to see his foot slide harmlessly off her body. He had to jump back to avoid the incoming swing.

"Now, rough play like that won't get you anywhere. The **Sube-Sube no mi** makes it so that everything slides off my skin. In addition to also making my freckles disappear." Alvida gloated.

" _So that's why she looks like that now…"_ Gian realized, before realizing that what she just said gave him the idea of how to beat her. Gian charged forwards with his blade raised, avoiding another of her swings, before somersaulting over her and bringing the flat edge of the weapon down on her back.

Originally believing that the strike would slide off like before, Alvida was shocked to find out that when the blade touched her, her strength began leaving her body. Soon, she had collapsed to the ground, while Gian stood over her with the blade still connected to her.

"H-how is this-"

"I'll have you know that this weapon is specifically used to counter devil fruits. Sorry, but the world wants me to save my captain." Gian smiled; this weapon really has its uses " _I think I'll call you: Atom Splitter!"_ He thought as the name came to mind.

"Heh… it's no wonder the two of you are in the same crew…"

"Yeah, so if you'll excuse me, I gotta go. But maybe we can turn this into a date later? Nah, who am I kidding, we're probably never gonna see each other again." With that, Gian hoisted the woman up and threw her in the opposite direction before once again dashing towards the execution platform.

"Grrr… so you defeated Alvida? No matter! You're too late! Cabaji! Stop him!" Buggy shouted.

"Yes, Buggy-sencho!" before the acrobat can do anything, his blade was blocked by another.

* * *

"Never thought I'd see you again…" Zoro growled out. He had gotten two new swords from the weapons shop, and apparently both were Wazamono Grade swords. One of them is the supposed cursed sword Sandai Kitetsu, and the other was Yubashiri, given to him after Ippon-Matsu saw that Zoro had conquered the former's curse. With his new weapons, Zoro is confident he can easily defeat Cabaji, especially considering that he's not injured this time.

"We're not late, are we?" Gian saw that Zoro, Sanji and Nami have also shown up. Clearly they heard about the execution as well.

"Gian! I sense a storm coming to town soon, I have to make sure that the Merry is ok." Nami informed him.

"Then go, Usopp should be already there. The 3 of us will get Luffy out!"

"You've all shown up? Then you can watch your captain die!" Buggy shouted as he raised a cutlass.

"Shit… there's no time!" Sanji cursed as he was confronted by a group of Buggy's underlings.

" _God-dammit! I'm not gonna let him die here!"_ Gian thought frantically.

"Any last words, rubber bastard?"

"I'm going to become the Pirate King!" Luffy shouted; it was a statement that shocked all of the onlookers.

"That kid… what he is talking about…"

"To make such a bold statement…"

"You're still going on about that?" Buggy cackled

Luffy only smiled as he watched his 3 nakama struggling to get to him. His mind thought of everyone he met on his journey, all the good friends he has in his crew.

"Gian." Said Kaiju-zoan user was currently mowing down pirates left and right with his blade.

"Zoro." The swordsman has indeed defeated Cabaji, but now was surrounded by a group of minions.

"Sanji." The cook was kicking all the pirates away from him, but more jumped on him.

"Nami." The navigator was using her staff to try to ward off a lion; apparently, Mohji the animal tamer has found the Merry, and now she and Usopp had this to deal with.

"Usopp." The sniper was trying to back Nami up with his slingshot.

"Sorry, I'm dead." Luffy said with his big grin still on his face.

* * *

"Dammit!" Zoro cursed.

"Don't say that…" Sanji muttered desperately.

"Why is he smiling?" onlookers looked in awe and fear.

"I can't lose him… I CAN'T LOSE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO DOESN'T JUDGE ME BECAUSE OF MY PAST!" Gian's were pure amber colored, and just this moment, he felt an unknown feeling well up inside him.

And then it exploded out of him, coursing through his veins as he unleashed a primal roar. Everyone around him felt an unmistakable fear as the wind around the center of town whipped up into the frenzy; those who thought it was because the rain was about to fall soon realized their mistake as the visage of a monstrous dinosaur flashed out, roaring at the platform.

Buggy's eyes widened when he saw this. "K-Kaiju-" who would've guessed that he would see one of these again? He knew a pair of twins that were a part of his previous crew, and they had something similar to this. In that moment, he recognized the danger he was in.

"But it doesn't matter! So what if you have a Kaiju-zoan?! This bastard is dead!" and he brought the cutlass down.

Whether fate was bored, or it was just a mere coincidence, whatever the reason, it was at this moment that a flash of lightning cracked from the sky. The bolt of pure light and electricity slammed into the platform, utterly pulverizing it. Those close to the platform were blasted back by the force of the thunderbolt.

"LUFFY!" the three nakama watched as the platform was smoldering. Rain had begun to pour, dousing everybody with its drops and thankfully putting out the fire that lit the now destroyed platform earlier.

"Luffy's strawhat was on the ground beside the platform, surprisingly not damaged. More seconds passed, then the rubble began to stir and a form popped out.

"Shishishi! I'm alive!" Luffy cheered. It was then that the 3 pirates could let out a sigh of relief. Buggy was behind him, mouth agape and mumbling something incomprehensible as the electricity took its time to leave his system.

"That rubber, actually helped him…" Gian shook his head and smiled.

"Thanks you guys! I thought I was gonna die there!"

"That doesn't matter. We have to leave now!" Sanji reminded them. They all nodded and left for the docks.

* * *

Everything that happened was seen by the white haired marine captain, and he couldn't be more shocked.

" _That boy… for a moment there… he did what the pirate king did 22 years ago…"_ Smoker thought as he remembered that, apparently, Gold Roger was smiling at the scene of his execution. And now, this boy had just been doing the same…

" _Why did he smile? Did he know that he was going to be saved? No… he must've known that his life would end that instant… and he accepted that… he smiled because he was prepared for it."_

His thought then turned to Gian and the outburst he did. Smoker was one of the people who knew about Gian's devil fruit, having gotten the story out of him while the boy was in his one week detention. He had assured him that sometime after his departure, Caesar Clown had gotten into an incident resulted in his discharge as a World Government scientist. Smoker, at the time, had been disgusted to hear about the boy's treatment. But that wasn't what he was thinking about right now.

" _Did you know, there is an old saying, that Kaiju only bow to those who deserve to become king? Perhaps that's why I'm here, the Gensui wants to rule the world!"_

That last part had been a joke, but the words from Vice Admiral Gideon suddenly made more sense now. Smoker has known the young Vice Admiral for some time, having been rather close with the boy during his early career, along with the fact that he has a rather intimate relationship with one of his subordinates (a fact that he is rather annoyed with due to neither of them telling him for the longest time). He never really paid much mind to anything Kaiju-zoan related, but now it seems like it might make sense…

" _That boy said he wanted to be pirate king… is that why the two of them are together. If what Gideon said could be true… then that boy will become a major force in the future! And with how the wind is blowing… if they manage to get out to sea they will surely reach the Grand Line…"_

Smoker was snapped out his musings by one of his marine subordinates.

"Taisa… Are we going to go after them?" the marines by now have stormed the square, with Smoker catching the Buggy Pirates and holding Buggy and Alvida in kairoseki nets.

"Make sure their ship doesn't leave the harbor, I'm going after the captain and first mate myself." Smoker declared as his fist tightened.

" _I'm sorry Gian, but neither of you will leave this island."_

* * *

Further away, Bartolomeo and his remaining goons were wide eyed and slack-jawed at what just happened.

"B-boss… did you see that?" Gambia asked.

"I did… who would've guessed that something so amazing can happen?!"

"I know… I still can't believe it…"

"That man… he's going to be big one day! To make such a declaration, and surviving his execution through divine intervention! Even the heavens want him to live!" Bartolomeo cried out.

"Oh yeah… by the way what are we going to do with Kenichi?" Gambia asked before getting a slap on upside the head.

"Idiot! Kenichi is the family of Gian! And Gian is part of that boy's crew! Do you want to make them hate us?!"

"Ah, you're right, I forgot!"

Bartolomeo then picked up a stray wanted poster, which showed Luffy's 30 million bounty, and grinned. This boy truly will become a huge force in the future, no, he'll be the pirate king!

"From now on! We're supporting Monkey D. Luffy right here from home!"

* * *

 _Meanwhile:_

"We're getting close! Just a bit more!" Gian shouted back as the 4 people continued to run.

"Are you sure about that? There's so much rain I can't tell where we're going!" Luffy called out.

The marines have found them by this point, and they were on hot pursit. But it seems that they will actually reach the docks, until suddenly:

"RORONOA ZORO!"

"Her?!" Zoro deadpanned.

"Wow! Who's the pretty lady?" Sanji swooned.

"How dare you lie to me?!" Tashigi demanded angrily as she drew Shigure.

"OI MARIMO! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?" Sanji shouted angrily.

"You told her who we are?!" Gian snapped; they were so close too…

"No I didn't! She must've figured it out on her own. And apparently so has every other marine in this town!" Zoro shot back.

"Wado Ichimonji… such a sword in the procession of a person like you is unacceptable!" Tashigi shouted, before turning to Gian with a more hurt expression "And you! How could you become a pirate? You were such a good person!" Gian had always been kind in her mind, seeing him associated with people like Zoro was unimaginable to her.

"I made my own choice Tashigi, I can't change it now!"

"So you're here to take my sword, are you?" Zoro grinned and drew the same sword Tashigi was eyeing "Well then why don't you come and try?"

"Zoro we don't have time!" Gian reminded him.

"Don't worry, this will be quick you guys go on ahead."

"Fine, if you want to make out that bad you just had to say it…"

"You're not helping!" Zoro snapped, his face slightly red.

"I-I have a boyfriend already!" Tashigi also shouted with a slight blush.

"Whatever, just hurry up." Gian shrugged as the 3 of them continued running as Zoro and Tashigi locked swords together.

"You better not hurt her!" Sanji called back.

"Shut up, Sanji!" Gian snapped.

"What was that you shitty monster? Don't think you're off the hook either for lying to a lady!"

"Oh for crying out fuck..."

* * *

The 3 of them ran as fast as they could, and they could almost see the docks.

Unfortunately, they had one more person they have to get past.

"You guys have finally shown up…" Smoker growled as he revealed himself, white smoke billowing around him.

"Crap… I knew we had to face him eventually…" Gian cursed.

"If you want to pass, then you have to defeat me. If you can't do that, then there's no way you'll last in the Grand Line."

"Luffy, Sanji, get out of here. You two are no match for him."

"What? You think you can fare any better?" The two protested.

"I don't, but I have a slight edge with this." Gian lifted Atom Splitter up "And I'm the one that knows him, so go on ahead, I'll be fine."

The two were still reluctant, but finally nodded before running off.

"Giving yourself up to save them, you're loyal I'll give you that." Smoker stated as he drew his jitte. "Though it won't matter in the end, none of you will leave this island."

"I'll be the judge of that." Gian stated firmly as he got into a fighting stance.

" **White Out!"** a massive cloud of smoke shot towards Gian, intent on snaring him. The kaiju-zoan user barely avoided the attack and charged forwards, raising Atom Splitter to deliver an overhead strike. Smoker managed to block the weapon with his jitte, the two weapons generating sparks.

"That weapon… Kenichi gave it to you didn't he?"

"So what if he did? You want one of your own?"

"It has kairoseki embedded in it, just like this jitte… Now I see why you volunteered to stay behind… Don't think you have an advantage because of it!" Smoker growled as the two pushed away from one another.

"You know I'm not as overconfident like that." Gian remarked, before firing an **Atom Ray** forward, only for the beam to strike Smoker's chest and pass through harmlessly as Smoker turned his body into smoke. That however, gave Gian the opportunity to run in for another sweeping slash.

Unfortunately, Smoker easily saw this coming, and jumped overhead.

" **White Blow!"** Smoker's fists shot forward, connected by smoke, and they snaked around in the air before aiming at Gian. Gian managed to avoid one of them, but the other fist struck his back and sent him staggering.

Smoker then flew forwards, his legs turned to smoke which further increased his speed. Gian braced himself, and as Smoker almost got to him he dove to the side and stuck out Atom Splitter, which managed to graze the marine captain's arm and delivering a small cut.

"You punk…" Smoker growled " **White Snake!"**

This time a large tendril of smoke shot out of smoker's open palms, charging at Gian. The kaiju-zoan user jumped around frantically trying to avoid the dense smoke, however that didn't last long as it eventually wrapped around his body, restraining him. Smoker then swung his arm downward, using the smoke to smash Gian heavily into the stone ground.

This resulted in Gian losing his grip on Atom Splitter, he tried to grab it, but the marine captain beat him to it first, grabbing the weapon and slamming it down hard into the ground inches away from his neck.

Yeah, Gian was not about to move after that; with seastone that close to him it not like he could move either even if he wanted to.

"Having a Kairoseki weapon doesn't give you anymore advantage than not having one." Smoker stated as he knelt on Gian's chest.

"Yeah… I really don't get why you haven't been promoted yet Chaser…" Gian wheezed. Aside from the one lucky strike, Gian really didn't do much to the marine captain; he was sorely outclassed here and he did not dare use his transformations, lest he wants to damage the town.

"Never needed one, but maybe I'll accept it after I capture all of you."

"You won't… Luffy is probably far away right-"

" **Gomu Gomu no… Pistol!"**

"Ah crap…"

* * *

The rubber boy's fist shot towards the marine captain, but as expected it passed through him harmlessly. Gian gained a worried expression as he saw Luffy cock his fist back to deliver another punch.

"Let Gian go!"

"Luffy! I told you to get back to the ship!" Gian shouted.

"I'm not leaving you behind! You were taking too long and I got worried!" Luffy shouted back.

"You idiot! You can't beat him!"

"I will! **Gomu Gomu no Gatling!"**

But Luffy's rapid fire punches only hit smoke as Smoker glared at the two of them.

"Whaaa?! Why can't I hit him?"

"He ate the **Moku Moku no mi**! It's not like any devil fruit we've seen thus far! It's a logia, and it turns your body into a certain elements!" Gian warned him "So unless you have certain things, you can't hit him!"

"He's right, you should've listen to your crewmate there." Smoker scoffed "Now you won't escape. **White Out!"**

And just like that, Luffy was caught in another cloud of dense smoke, which slammed him down beside Gian. Smoker has one knee on both of their chests, his jitte pointed at Luffy and Gian's Atom Splitter pointed at the kaiju-zoan user.

"So do you see why you can never go to the Grand Line?" Smoker growled "And just like that, a 30 million bounty pirate and a 16.5 million one have been captured. Goodbye Gian, I'll inform your brothers to visit you in your cell before you're sent to Impel Down."

"Now, why would you be in such a rush to do that?" a new voice rang, this one a deep and ragged one that oozed intimidation. Indeed, Smoker's eyes widened as he turned to see a tall figure with their hand on his shoulder.

"What? What's happening?" Luffy called out.

"I don't know Luffy… but I think someone's just saved us…" Gian winced; he could just make out the person standing behind Smoker. It was a man wearing a green cloak, the hood obscuring his face. A bolt of lightning struck down, briefly illuminating the area and showing the man's face. It was a middle aged man with wild hair and a sinister smirk, the most important part being that the left side of his face having what appears to be a tribal tattoo.

Whoever it was, Smoker clearly recognizes him, and he is not pleased.

"You… you're wanted by the World Government! What are you doing here?!"

"What reason would I need? After all, you're the one that's preventing two people from following their paths to the world!" the mysterious man remarked.

It was at this moment the fiercest gale picked up, the wind howled so ferociously that it practically lifted the two youths under Smoker up, carrying them towards the docks. Elsewhere, the wind even blew the kairoseki nets off Buggy and Alvida, who hastily raced to the Big Top, ready to make their own mark in the history of the world.

* * *

"Why? Why would you save them?" Smoker demanded "DRAGON?!"

"The world is changing" the man, now apparently known as Dragon, declared "and young people like them are at the center of that change. It wouldn't be wise to get in the way of them now, would it?"

And just like that, Dragon disappeared into the wind, leaving behind a dumbfounded Smoker having no more answers than he did a moment ago.

"Get me a ship!" Smoker snarled after he regained his composure and called into a Den Den Mushi "I'm heading to the Grand Line!"

"Eh? But Smoker-taisa, you're supposed to be watching the island!" the marine at the other end called back.

"Don't order me around! Do it goddammit!"

"Y-yes sir!"

"Smoker-san! I'm coming with you!" Tashigi called out as she ran towards her superior.

"Is that so?"

"I was defeated by Roronoa Zoro, I can never live that down! I will go and capture him myself!" the girl declared adamantly.

"I see, then we leave as soon as they get the ship!"

"But I still can't believe Gian…"

"Gian's a pirate now, remember that. We may have known him in the past, but don't let that get in the way of your duty!" Smoker snapped.

"Of course Smoker-san!" Tashigi nodded.

* * *

 _Meanwhile:_

Kenichi Yamane looked out the window of his lab as the rained poured, wearing a white lab coat. Having a pirate for a brother made him concerned for the man's wellbeing, even perhaps a bit too much.

" _Gian… please be careful."_

His attention was diverted when the computer on his desk suddenly lit up, revealing Goro Ibuki on the other end.

"Ken! Is Gian still there?"

"He just left, he's probably already on his way to the Grand Line right now."

"I see, then I hope he's ok." Goro nodded.

"He will be, it's what makes him Gian after all." Kenichi smiled "He's reckless, headstrong, gets himself hurt but he gets back up and hits back twice as hard. He has some good friends as well, they'll look out for each other."

"Haha, you're right maybe I'm just worrying too much. But that's why the 5 of us are brothers after all." Goro chuckled.

"Whatever he gets into, let us always support him." Ken requested.

"Of course we will. That's a given" Goro affirmed "Speaking of which what's new these days aside from our brother arriving?"

"Being nosey now, are you?" Ken teased "Don't let other people hear this! We are on opposite sides after all."

"Oh come off it, whatever you have, I have plenty more, remember?" Goro laughed back, hinting at something only they knew. He then got serious "You didn't tell him yet, did you?"

"No, I didn't think it was within my jurisdiction. He'll hear it from you; it was you guys that joined them after all."

"Originally I didn't want him to get involved, but after hearing that _he_ showed up, I have a feeling our fates are connected" Goro sighed "Whatever the case, I believe Gian will have a much larger role to play in the future then he thinks he does."

* * *

 _Back with the Strawhats:_

"I can't believe you two! You two are so reckless!" Nami scolded as the 6 of them sailed away from Loguetown, rain still pouring down.

"We're sorry… but we made it out didn't we?" Gian and Luffy both pointed out.

"Yeah, and you almost got arrested!" Zoro laughed. Through his battle with the Master Chief Petty Officer, Zoro had gained a rival. It didn't help that the girl looked so similar to Kuina…

"Whatever... Oh yeah, by the way Luffy…" Gian mumbled.

"Yes, Gian?"

"Thanks, ya know, for… coming back for me back there…" Gian muttered, slightly embarrassed.

"Shishishi! Of course! We're nakama after all! Luffy grinned. Gian couldn't help but smile.

Soon the crew could see a mountain in the distance, where a lighthouse was shining its beacon across the sea. Excitement rose in all their hearts as they realized where they were.

"The entrance to the Grand Line is close! We're almost there!" Nami informed them.

"What a night to have reach such a waypoint!" Gian clapped.

"Grand Line! Grand Line!" Luffy cheered.

"I say we have ourselves a little ceremony! To celebrate us getting this far!" Sanji smirked and brought out a barrel.

"That's a wonderful idea!" everyone agreed.

Soon, everyone surrounded the barrel, ambition gleaming in their eyes.

"To find the All Blue!" Sanji declared and slammed his foot down on top of the barrel.

"To become the World's Greatest Swordsman!" Zoro followed suit.

"To master the Goji Goji no mi!" Gian as well.

"To become the Pirate King!" Then Luffy.

"To draw a map of the world!" then Nami.

"T-to be a brave warrior of the sea!" And finally Usopp. All 6, their foot atop the barrel, reaffirming their dreams.

"LET'S GO! TO THE GRAND LINE!" Luffy cheered.

"YEAH!"

Gian couldn't help but look with pride as the rest of the crew looked towards the mountain eagerly.

Not only have these people encountered the Kaiju-zoan, but they haven't once judged him for it. A destructive power, and they trust him with it completely.

He would do anything to protect them.

" _It's just like you said, Shanks-san, Triton-senpai. I really want to protect them, and cherish them…"_

With that, Gian ran to the stern of the Merry, and shouted towards the sky.

"I'M COMING TRITON-SENPAI, AND I'M BRINGING COMPANY!" to the cheers of his remaining crewmates.

And just like that, the true adventure of the Straw hat Pirates have begun. Their names with soon be known across the sea, in every corner, in every land.

 **A/N: And there we have it! Loguetown's conclusion marks the end of the East Blue Saga, which I can finally say…**

 **G: GODDAMMIT FINALLY I THOUGHT I'D NEVER LEAVE.**

 **Yeah that! And with the start of Reverse Mountain Arc, it's only gonna get bigger. But with this arc, I hope you like what I added. I thought that having Bartolomeo share some of his history with Gian would make it when they meet again 2 years later more interesting, and his relationship with Smoker is just some added stuff. As for Daddy Masterson... I'll admit that adding a non-canon character was just for shits and giggles, but hey, Oda actually planned for the guy to be in the story so why not?**

 **And if anyone asks, Kenichi Yamane is based off of a character from the movie Godzilla V.S Destoroyah, the final movie of the Heisei Godzilla movies, and one of the best Godzilla movies of all time.**

 **And now I truly wish to thank everyone for reading this. When I began this story in November, I never expect I'll get this far. It was just a hobby for me at the time, and it still is. Only now, I have people following this and giving feedback along the way. So thank you.**

 **With that, we'll begin the responses!**

 **To anquan:**

 **Thank you man, it means a lot.**

 **G: Glad I'm awesome!**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **It will, though most of his oppenents are more than competent enough not to fall to simple seastone!**

 **G: every action has a similar reaction.**

… **No idea what that has to do with what I just said.**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **Well, not quite. Whitebeard has a bisento, while Gian's weapon is a guandao. They're similar, yet slightly different, but that's not important.**

 **Yeah, Bart does have a less than pleasant history with Gian, and this will kind of affect the first time they meet two years later in Dressrosa. Gian will have a hard time in the beginning accepting the fact that his former enemy is now his fanboy.**

 **G: wait, really? How did-**

 **It just works.**

 **And as for his two sisters, you'll be surprised.**

 **To hcharper131:**

 **That's something you can try.**

 **G: and it's metal as fuckkkk… damn son!**

 **To Chance Green G. King:**

 **Glad you like it! I'll try not to disappoint!**

 **G: you da real mvp!**

 **To Vergil Leonidas:**

 **Glad you liked it! Yeah, remember that Bartolomeo used to be a gangster before he became a fan of the Strawhats, so I just decided to work with that. I hope it turns out alright.**

 **And yes, those two girls are canon characters. Who they are, I won't reveal though!**

 **G: Super! Special! Secret! Fafqeiqghwshrwa~**

 **To Guest:**

 **That… is another story for another time. But I'll tell you when Gian finds out, it will be very surprising.**

 **G: Also tell us your name!**

 **And there we have it! We'll see you next time!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will go juggle on a pogo stick!**

 **G: You making me join a circus or something?!**


	27. Whale of an entrance

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **With the Reverse Mountain Arc in this chapter, the opening has some small changes, which will last until Whiskey Peak.**

 **(Song: Mad Paced Getter by Tomohisa Sako; better known as Pokemon XY opening #3)**

 _Susume, susume! Kangaetecha osoi kara Kasoku suru omoi wa, denkousekka de Mayotte ru hima nante nai deshou?_

 _(_ ** _The scene start showing a shot of the Going Merry, where the crew was eating breakfast. However, this soon devolved into everybody keeping Luffy away from their food using whatever method they can, much to the annoyance of Sanji. This did not change, except Gian now has Atom Splitter strapped to his back.)_**

 _Makenai nigenai yamanai ame nante nai Namida gyutto koraete, kishikaisei Fumidase! Sugu ni hareruya_

 ** _(The scene then transitions to an old man wearing a pink shirt staring out at sea, when a large whale rises out of the water and bellows. Images of pirate crews are seen, one featuring the whale as a baby, the other featuring another group of men with the old man in his younger days.)_**

 _Butsukariatte Moeru omoi oobaahiito Mayoi haratte Hoero raimei no you ni_

 ** _(The crew is shown screaming as a bunch of Sea Kings rise out of the water and stares at them, then shows them going down Reverse Mountain at high speeds.)_**

 _Rikutsu ja nai mirai wo ima Saa, kono te de kirihiraku n da_

 ** _(The scene then cuts to two people, one dressed like a king with two baseball bats and another a blue haired girl with a duck by her side, then to another group of people, this time led by a man wearing a red coat with sunglasses and a woman with a citrus colored dress and an umbrella. Then to another group of silhouetted people, the one in the lead a man with a hooked hand, his other hand reaching out.)_**

 _Getta Banban, Getta Banban, Getta Banban Mada minu mirai e_

 _OH YEAH tachimukatte OH YEAH nando date_

 ** _(The scene is the same as chapter 25 but after that it now shows the whale roaring and switches to it and Gian in his Full Transformation pushing off each other.)_**

 _Getta Banban Getta Banban Getta Banban Hitori ja nai kara_

 ** _(Gian and Zoro are now facing a group of bounty hunters, led by the same man with the red coat and woman with the citrus dress.)_**

 _OH YEAH tomaranaide OH YEAH Tomo ni ikou kagayaku mirai e_

 ** _(The scene then shows the blue haired girl and her duck from before encountering the Strawhats with a growing relieved smile. And the Merry sailing off.))_**

 _1, 2, 3 de junbi okkei! Oikaze ni notte_

 _Gangan tobashite ikou! Mita koto nai sekai e_

 ** _(Cuts to another woman with tanned skin wearing a cowgirl's outfit staring forwards with a mysterious smile. The last scene is the same as before.)_**

"You know, if there was land and I did a Full Transformation then, I bet I would've been able to take on those Sea Kings…" Gian thought out loud.

"We don't want to think about that anymore!" everyone else complained.

The day after their departure from Loguetown, the crew were making it real close to Reverse Mountain. Now all they have to do is find the entrance and they'll be in the Grand Line! What they didn't expect however, was sail into the Calm Belt by accident. The Calm Belt are strips of water, on either side of the Grand Line, where there are no water currents. Because of this, ships that enter their usually just drift around, or in most cases get eaten by the denizens of the deep.

If it wasn't because the giant sea creature they were beached upon decided to sneeze them off, they would've already perished there.

"So, it seems that the entrance to the Grand Line really is a mountain…" Nami mumbled as she studied the map. Reverse Mountain seemed to be very unique for a landmass.

"So how are we supposed to get there? By smashing through the mountain?" Zoro asked.

"No… there's supposed to be an entrance somewhere we just got to find it." Nami replied "Reverse Mountain is where the major currents of all the 4 Blues meet up at the top, before draining into the Grand Line. This means we have to go up the mountain first. However, from what I heard, many pirates don't even make it to the top…"

"If I remember correctly… the ship that took me there came through here…" Gian remembered "If only I can remember where the entrance was…"

"Don't worry, we'll find it." Nami assured him.

"Yeah, there's no other navigator better than Nami!" Luffy agreed along with everyone else, making the navigator blush in pride.

So the crew drifted along for a bit longer. Eventually, they felt the Merry being pulled in a certain direction. They attempted to fix this by turning the rudder, but:

"This rudder isn't moving! I think the current is too fast!" Usopp called out.

* * *

The crew looked out and had wide eyes, the water current was leading into a massive wall of rock. This is the Red Line, the landmass that separates this world into two.

"We're gonna smack into it! What do we do?" Usopp screamed.

"Hold on…" Nami frowned.

"Whatever it is you're thinking of, tell us quickly or we'll be kissing the Red Line soon!" Gian reminded her.

"I know that! I just- THERE!" She pointed. And then the crew could see a small opening at the base of the Cliffside, perhaps a bit too small.

"You sure about that? The six of us stacked atop one another can't fit through there!" Zoro pointed out.

"We'll make it! I'm sure!"

Upon getting closer, the 6 pirates could see that, indeed, water seemed to be flowing upwards towards the summit of the Red Line. The water flowing upwards is the fastest they've ever seen; one misstep and they could be sent to the bottom of the ocean.

"Alright! Just go between the opening! Make sure we don't hit the side of the mountain!" Nami ordered.

With some difficulty, the crew managed to get the Going Merry into the small hole. Fortunately nothing is damaged.

"And we made it through!" Luffy, Usopp and Sanji cheered.

"Amazing… to see water go against gravity like this… it is truly a spectacle of nature!" Gian looked in awe.

"Great! Now just keep going upwards! We'll make it to the top in no time!" Nami smiled.

The Going Merry began ascending higher and higher, soon they were above the clouds!

"THIS IS SO COOL!" Luffy looked on in excitement

"Wait… if we're up here, then how- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Usopp just had to ask.

"I DID NOT REMEMBER THIS BEING A PART OF THIS!" Gian screamed as the ship, now on a descent, blazed down the slope, the opposite side from where they got up.

"YEAH! WE'RE GOING TO THE GRAND LINE!" Luffy was very excited.

" _Just wait for a bit longer Triton-senpai, I'll be there shortly!"_ Gian smirked.

" _Mihawk… I'm coming for you…"_ Zoro tightened his grip on Wado Ichimonji

" _I'll find the All Blue…"_ Sanji grinned.

" _To draw that map of the world…"_ Nami thought.

" _I'll prove myself… I'll be a brave warrior of the sea!"_ Usopp nodded with determination.

And thus, the first real portion of the Strawhat's adventures have officially begun!

* * *

The Going Merry was still skidding downhill at breakneck speeds, with her crew having the time of their lives.

"THIS IS THE BEST! ANYBODY GOT A WAKEBOARD?" Gian cackled.

"What's a wakeboard?" Sanji asked

"IT'S WHERE YOU TIE A PLATFORM BEHIND A FAST MOVING BOAT, AND SOMEONE STANDS ON IT!" Gian was too happy to see that doing something like that here is akin to suicide.

"YOU'RE CRAZY!" Nami shouted.

"YOU JUST FIGURED THAT OUT?"

* * *

 ***BWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR**

Zoro suddenly perked up "Huh? Did you guys hear that?"

"What? It's probably just the wind." Sanji brushed him off.

"The wind? It can't be that much of a-"

* **BBBBBWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR**

"No, that was definitely not the wind…" Gian muttered "It's too loud, too close, and… coming from _right in front of us_?!

Indeed they can see a black silhouette in front of them in the far distance, obscured by cloud cover. It seems that, whatever this thing is, it's very big.

"What… is that?" Nami frowned "There isn't supposed to be any land directly after Reverse Mountain…"

"It could be an iceberg. They tend to drift around so…" Gian mentioned.

"That can't be right, Reverse Mountain is a winter island but it shouldn't be cold enough to cause icebergs to form." Nami revealed.

And then they plummeted below cloud cover, and the mysterious black shape was revealed in its full glory. And when they thought it was big before, they had no idea.

It was absolutely massive. And everybody aboard was wide-eyed with shock at the form.

"I-it can't be…" Zoro mumbled with disbelief.

"It's a black wall!" Luffy yelled.

"No! It's… It's…" Nami stuttered.

"IT'S A WHALE!" Usopp screamed.

* * *

Indeed, the massive black mass is a whale. A whale that's got its head perpendicular to the water, leaving its broad frame.

"We're going to crash into it!" Usopp yelled fearfully.

"We have to get around it somehow!" Sanji shouted back.

"Gian, can't you do a Full Transformation and scare it off or something?" Zoro asked.

"I would if there was anything to stand on!" the kaiju-zoan user shot back. Besides, looking at the thing, he estimated it to be at least the size of him in a Full Transformation, especially considering there's still a part of the cetacean underwater.

"Let's just fight it then!" Luffy declared.

"NO YOU DUMBASS! WE CAN'T FIGHT SOMETHING THAT BIG!" Nami was quick to reprimand him.

"Dammit… it's too fast for us to switch directions, but if we don't do anything we're be pulverized…" Gian hissed.

Suddenly, Zoro noticed something. "There! On the left side! There's an opening we should be able to fit through!"

"But we're going too fast! Can we even make it?" Sanji pointed out.

"Wait that gives me an idea!" Luffy suddenly called out, before running downstairs, to where the cannon is.

"Well… it's the only way we have right now, so let's give it a shot!" Zoro declared and tried his best to steer Merry with the water working against them.

However, the force of water was just too great, and even with Sanji and Usopp pitching in, nobody could steer the ship. They were getting closer and closer to the whale, and it was starting to become desperate.

Then, with a loud BOOM! The main cannon of the Going Merry suddenly fired, sending everyone into shock.

"YOSH! Did it work?" Luffy laughed proudly, and with good reason too; the ship actually seemed to be slowing down!

"Huh… Luffy's actually onto something… let's slow it down even further! **Atom Ray!"** Gian noticed and fired the thin beam towards the whale. The azure bolt of heat pounded into the front of the whale, its force further reducing the speed of the Going Merry.

But… even with that it was still too fast. Merry managed to stop, but it wasn't slow enough and her figurehead smacked into the whale, snapping it clean off and sending it flying to the back of the ship.

"WAAAAAAH! MY FAVORITE SEAT!" Luffy cried out in anguish.

"Holy crap… even after all that, the animal didn't feel anything!" Gian stared amazed

"That's good! Now let's get the hell out of here!" Zoro beckoned. They didn't want to draw attention, so instead they decided to row. Everybody was anxious at what the beast would do to them this close to it.

"I can't believe it didn't feel any of that! We just shot a cannon as well as a heat ray at it!" Sanji pointed out.

"Nobody gives a shit!" Usopp snapped.

"Hold on… I need to draw this! It's not every day I see a whale this big!" Gian whipped out the notebook.

"WE'RE NOT STOPPING JUST SO YOU CAN PRACTICE YOUR ART!" Nami shouted.

"You don't have to stop, just don't rock the ship that much."

By this point, the crew sailing away from the large animal. It seems like they were actually going to make it out! Unfortunately, Luffy is still pissed off at it.

"You stupid animal… HOW DARE YOU RUIN MY FAVORITE SEAT!" and thus, their fates were sealed as Luffy threw a punch straight at the whale's ocular orb.

Everybody's jaws instantly met the deck of the ship at that.

"YOU IDIOT! WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU DO THAt?!" they all screamed in Luffy's face and began to weep.

The whale called out again, before its pupil shifted downwards.

"IT SEES US!"

"HAH! HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT?!" Luffy gloated, before the rest of the crew all took it out on his noggin.

And now is when it really goes down. The whale bellowed once again, its massive cave of a mouth snapped open and water began pulling the crew into the creature's open orifice. Luffy was fortunate enough to use his rubber limbs to grab onto a tooth and vault onto the beast's back. The rest of them however, was not so lucky.

"Dear lord… in my next life… may rubber be something that only exists in mythology…" Gian uttered a prayer before he and everyone else screamed at the top of their lungs as the whale closed its mouth, trapping them in utter darkness.

* * *

Or… at least only for a while, because soon, the quintet splashed into a large body of water… complete with blue skies, puffy clouds and even a small island!

If they didn't just experienced it, nobody would guess that they've just been eaten by a whale.

"W-what is going on?" Nami squeaked.

"My guess is, either we died and went to heaven and this is what it looks like, or that before we got swallowed everyone took a huge pound of shrooms and this is the after-effect." Gian gave his reasoning.

"I don't feel dead…" Sanji gave himself a look over.

"Then it's probably a mirage or something." Gian stated again.

The crew spent a bit more time arguing what is going on, until the water before them suddenly started to bubble. Not a moment later did a giant squid burst out of the water, gurgling at its potential prey.

"I-is that a mirage too?" Usopp squeaked.

"Probably, but better safe than sorry…" Gian's eyes flashed amber, and he fired an **Atom Ray** into the oversized cephalopod, scorching a section of its skin. The squid roared and prepared to swing its tentacles at the Merry, the crew bracing themselves.

But there was no need. 3 harpoons suddenly embedded themselves into the squid's flesh, the invertebrate letting loose a loud groan of anguish before it slumped over, dead.

The crew noticed that the pointed objects were fired from the small hut that is located on the island just ahead of them.

And soon, they detected movement within the house. A second later, an elder-looking man walked out, the man is wearing a colorful shirt, with a large flower like frill behind his head. Despite his age, the man seemed to be glowing with health.

The man slowly strolled out of the hut, not taking his eyes of the crew. His stare is intense, and it visibly unnerved everybody. Seconds turned to minutes as the old man's gaze locked itself onto the crew.

Then the old man threw his arms out… and sat down on a white lawn chair to read newspaper.

"SAY SOMETHING ASSHOLE!" Sanji had shark teeth as he yelled. The old man turned his head towards the group again. He did not speak.

"What's with this guy? Is he mute?" Gian grumbled.

"Oi! Do you want to fight! Because we aren't afraid! We have a cannon right here!" Usopp challenged.

The man's gaze hardened at that, and a dramatic feeling swept across the crew. It was now that the man finally spoke his first words.

"Don't, or else someone will die."

This sent a chill down everyone's spines. Zoro and Sanji stiffened, Gian subconsciously reached for Atom Splitter, while Usopp and Nami were scared out of their wits and made a pose together similar to ballerina dancers.

"Really? And who do you think that would be?" Gian asked.

"Me." And that answer sent everybody to the floor.

"YOU?!" Gian almost threw his weapon off the ship in his anxiety. This old man was messing with them!

"Oi, calm down I'll try talking to him." Zoro mentioned. "Hey, Ossan! Do you know where we are? And what is your name?"

The same dramatic feeling washed over the crew again as the old man continued to stare.

"When you're asking a question to a stranger, shouldn't you introduce yourself first?" The old man asked.

"Ahh… good point. My name is Roronoa Zo-"

"I am Crocus, I am the keeper of the Twin Capes Lighthouse. I am 71 years old. I'm a Gemini, XF blood-"

"CAN I KILL HIM NOW?!" now Zoro was getting pissed off as well.

"So, you youngsters want to know where you are. Do you remember what you just did?" Crocus muttered.

"Oh… we really did get eaten by a whale…" Usopp stammered.

"Then why are we not getting digested?" Gian asked incredulously

"Besides that, how do we get out?" Nami asked.

And once again the Straw Hats were greeted by the same dramatic feeling they felt earlier, as Crocus's hard glare retu-

"WOULD YOU STOP DOING THAT?!"

"You guys really can't appreciate a good running gag, can't you? Crocus shrugged.

"HEY! THE ONLY ONE WHO MAKES GAGS IS ME!" Gian shouted.

"DON'T YOU GET INVOLVED!"

"And if you guys want to leave, the exit is right there." Crocus pointed to a door… on the side of the whale.

"WE CAN LEAVE?!"

"There are so many questions answered… but so many remain…" Gian muttered.

"NOTHING IS ANSWERED! WHY IS THERE A DOOR INSIDE A WHALE'S STOMACH?!" Nami shouted.

"Wait a minute… the sky… the clouds… ALL OF IT'S DRAWN?! IT'S ALL PAINTED INSIDE THE WHALE!" Usopp screamed and stared at Crocus accusingly.

"What? I like to have fun."

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE ANYWAY?!" Usopp raged as people tried to calm him down.

* * *

After all those… revelations, the Straw Hats were about to leave when everything began shaking and waves began to form. Crocus looked up and sighed.

"Laboon is ramming his head against the Red Line again…"

"What? Why would he-?"

"He's bashing his head against it, trying to break through" Crocus explained "I keep telling him it's impossible, but he won't listen."

"That's right! Didn't the whale have what looked like scars on its head?" Nami remembered.

"It did!" Gian noted "I thought they were battle wounds from where it fought other creatures of the deep."

"So, if the whale keeps hitting itself, it's going to make the waters here even more turbulent. We need to get out of here fast." Gian reminded everyone. And so they drifted to the door to think of a way to open it.

As they're searching their brain to figure out a way to bust open the iron cast door, they heard a plethora of screams erupt and getting closer and closer, then the door burst open and 3 people popped out, screaming. One of them in particular was very familiar.

"Wait… is that… Luffy?!" Zoro looked up.

"Save me!" Luffy cried out as he landed heavily on the deck of the Going Merry.

"Hey! Everyone! There's a door on the side of the whale! Isn't it funny?" the boy called to them.

"Yeah… we kind of already know." Gian pointed to the giant door.

"Oh… anyway, I met these two weirdos on my way in, does anyone know where-"

"You two again?! You're back for Laboon are you?" Crocus could be heard, audibly annoyed.

"That's right, old man! You better stay out of our way if you don't wanna get hurt!" another, new voice was heard.

When the crew went to check, they saw Crocus confronted by two people they saw moments before; apparently all of them landed on the ship. One of them was a man of middle height, long orange hair, and a green coat. He had a crown, as if he was some kind of king, and carrying a metal bat.

The other was a slim, young lady with blue hair tied into a pony tail wearing what appears to be a lime colored fur coat with and a dress with what appears to be swirls designed on it, which fit perfectly with her hourglass figure.

"Hey old man, who are these people?" Luffy asked.

"Two bounty hunters from a nearby town. They're here to kill Laboon for his meat." Crocus replied.

"The old man speaks the truth! This whale will feed our village for years! Let's go Miss Wednesday!" the man shouted as he raised a bazooka.

"Roger that Mr. 9!" the blue haired girl nodded.

The twin launchers fired, the duo laughing as they did so. What they didn't expect, was for Crocus to block the shot with his body.

"The old man…" Usopp mumbled in shock.

"He's trying to protect the whale!" Sanji realized.

"While I'm here… don't think… I'll let you lay a hand on Laboon!" Crocus growled.

"Stubborn old mule! I told you not to get in our way!" Mr. 9 pulled his bat out to attempt a strike at the old man, only for the weapon to be intercepted by another.

"That's enough, don't do anything you'll regret." Gian growled as he held Atom Splitter down to shield Crocus.

" _Such strength!"_ Mr. 9 thought as he tried to push against the kaiju-zoan user, however, his bat won't go any further; Gian looked like he isn't even putting any strength into the block!

"If you can't even get past me, then you aren't fit for hurting anything!" Gian retorted. Before Mr. 9 could do anything, Gian hoisted Atom Splitter upwards, tossing the bat upwards and sending it flying, and delivered a side kick which sent Mr. 9 barreling hard onto the deck.

"Mr. 9!" Miss Wednesday shouted before glaring at the man who knocked him down "Who do you think-" she never finished because Luffy punched her, knocking her out as well.

"Thanks Luffy, I thought I had to listen to her yap for a bit."

"Yeah, nice job with the other guy as well."

"You two… why did you help me?" Crocus asked.

"I didn't help you, I just didn't want to see that." Luffy grunted.

"Likewise. I did it for the whale. While I can accept the need to hunt animals for meat, this whale seems to be a special one, considering you're going to such lengths to defend it." Gian replied.

"I see, well, I suppose I should thank the two of you for doing this for Laboon, that's the whale's name by the way. There's a reason that he's bashing his head against the Red Line."

"A reason?" Nami asked.

"Yes, for you see, Laboon is has been waiting for a group of pirates, one he considers his family. That was 50 years ago." Hearing this, the crew were very surprised.

"50 years? That long?" Sanji mumbled.

"Yes, now how about we get out of his stomach first. There's a canal that the door leads to, which will lead to the outside. I'll explain everything on the way." Crocus proposed.

 **Flashback:**

 _50 years ago, Crocus was still a young man living at the Twin Capes by himself. One day, a group of pirates enter the Grand Line, coming from West Blue. But these pirates were not alone, they brought with them a little baby Island Way. As a calf, Laboon is one of the most adorable things that the group of Pirates have ever seen. They would travel together, and best of all whenever they had a party, Laboon would whistle along, as if it understood everything. Crocus got well acquainted with the crew while they stayed at Twin Capes to repair their ship, and in turn got to know the little whale as well._

 _However, all good things must come to an end, and one day the pirates have to leave. How they wanted to bring their little friend, but the Grand Line is no place for a little whale calf! So it is with tears and sniffles that the group of pirates made this decision._

" _You want me to look after him?" Crocus asked._

" _Yes… just for 2 or 3 years until we return." The captain nodded. He was a blond man with a friendly grin and a white hat, with a green captain's uniform. "It's too dangerous for the little guy out there."_

" _Hmmm… very well. I understand where you're coming from and I'll do my best to keep him safe."_

" _Thank you, that's all I can ask for," The captain nodded._

 _Laboon was confused at what is happening, until he spotted another person come up. This man is a tall skinny figure, with a sharp looking suit and a big afro._

" _Laboon, we're sorry. But we can't take you to the Grand Line, it's not a place for a small whale like you…"_

 _Laboon groaned at that; he could feel that his friends were about to leave, and he wanted them to stay._

" _Hey… don't be like that… You're still our nakama even if you're not with us!" the captain sighed; this was the hardest decision he had to make so far…_

" _Y-yeah! Once we come back, I'll play you all the songs you want!" the tall man talked through tears_

 _The little whale nodded its head sadly, finally agreeing._

 _Later the pirates have finished their reparations, and are now about to set off._

" _Goodbye Laboon! We'll be back, I promise!" they called out as the little calf bellowed its own farewell, the little whale wishing them well in his heart and eagerly awaited their return._

 _And he waited… and waited…_

 _Little did Laboon know, that would be the last time either side would see each other again._

 **Flashback end**

"After, that Laboon just waited there, and 50 years just went by. I'm a doctor, so I'm here in case he gets sick. But if he keeps ramming his head into the rock, his scars will kill him eventually and even I can't prevent that." Crocus finished.

The crew have now made it out of the giant whale, happy to see the real sky again. After depositing the two bounty hunters into the sea (to which they took great displeasure in), they returned to listen to the end of Crocus's tale.

"Laboon's nakama have gone for 50 years… can you imagine that? Waiting every single day of your life for someone to return?" Usopp whispered.

"There's a reason why they haven't come back you know?" Sanji pointed out "They probably died somewhere in the Grand Line."

"Wha?! What a cruel thing to say!"

"He has a point. The Grand Line isn't just a place where you expect everything to be fine, you know." Gian reminded him.

"Still…"

"Well… that's not quite the. Eventually I wanted to go look for them, so I joined another pirate crew to go look for them, it just so happened that their captain had a disease so they needed a doctor anyway."

"And? Did you find out what happened?" Nami asked.

Crocus was silent for a moment, before letting loose a sigh.

"Yes… and as it turns out… the crew tried to escape from the Grand Line. They left Laboon here."

"W-what?!" Zoro stammered.

"They just abandoned him?! But to get out of the Grand Line, they have to go through the Calm Belt, and that-"

"Percisely, there's probably not a high chance they may have survived."

"Still… to think those guys would just-" Usopp gritted.

"Why did you never tell him about them?" Nami asked.

"I did, many times. But do you think he would believe me?"

"So… Laboon still thinks they'll come back?"

Crocus sighed again.

"Personally, I believe he already knows the answer. But he simply refuses to accept it, ever since that day, he's been trying to break through the Red Line ever since, because without them, he would have no more reason to wait. I don't think he wants to lose that, so by breaking the Red Line, he can return home to West Blue, where he thinks his friends are waiting for him."

"Wow… what a whale…" Sanji muttered.

"But as you can see, all the assault on his head made it scarred. I can only do so much for him as a doctor, and if he continues to do that, then he'll surely die."

* * *

Gian watched Laboon continue to bellow and slam his head into the wall, an uneasy feeling welling up within him. To think that an animal can have an almost human-like heart. He wanted to do something about this; a crew like that doesn't deserve to have a whale like him. He looked to the side and saw that Luffy was silent, thinking about something. He smiled slightly when he realized what Luffy wanted to do, and while the other were still discussing the matter with Crocus Gian scooted closer to Luffy and whispered something into the boy's ear. Luffy was slightly surprised, but gave him a grin. That would do it for sure!

"Hey, Crocus-san? How deep is the water below the lighthouse?" Gian asked.

"Hmm? Well it's a straight drop from here to the bottom of the Grand Line, so pretty deep, why?"

"If that's the case, then this bit of cliff will have to do. I'll try not to destroy the lighthouse if I can, but no promises, this is gonna get pretty rowdy." Hearing this the crew (minus Luffy) felt a bit uneasy.

"Oi… Gian what are you saying?" Zoro asked.

"What do you think? It's the only way I can do it, considering he's so big and all."

"Wait? What? What are you talking about? What are you planning to do?!" Usopp stammered.

Gian's grin turned big: "I'm gonna wrestle him!"

 **G: And that's it! So we begin- wait… WHY THE HELL AM I DOING THE AUTHOR'S NOTE?! AUTHOR-SAN WHERE DID YOU RUN OFF TO?!**

 **(In the distance) I GOT IT! FINALLY I FOUND THE LAST EEVEE I NEED TO EVOLVE IT!**

 **G: Oh right… that… I knew that this was gonna be a problem… guess I'll do it this time, it's a good thing Author-san left the script. KP360 would like to officially begin the Alabasta Saga with this chapter! These next two arcs are more like mini-arcs than anything else, so they'll be short and we'll be getting more stuff happening! Likewise, there's not much he can change here, considering the length of these arcs. Letting me face that whale is a big enough risk already. But further down the line, there's gonna be another big battle, and let me tell you, he's just like me!**

 **Hey I'm back, phone ran out of batteries so I'll finish up here.**

 **G: About damn time! Now I get to go and find that Rhydon that you failed to get!**

 **WHY ARE YOU MENTIONING THAT AGAIN?!**

 **G: because it's hilarious. Oh my! There's a lure on the nearby Poke-stop!**

 **NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO….!**

 **Damn… the timing for some of these things. Well at least he won't interrupt our responses now!**

 **Responses to Review!**

 **To Vergil Leonidas:**

 **Oh… I don't know what you're talking about! Eh heh…heh…**

 **But I'm glad you like the chapter! Yeah, when Bartolomeo and Gian meet up again 2 years later, he's gonna be quite surprised at his sudden change!**

 **To anquan:**

 **You'll see now!**

 **To Guest:**

 **Alright, I understand. Well here it is!**

 **To omegadramon2:**

 **Gigan is a kaiju-zoan; every monster from the Godzilla movies that aren't fully mechanical (like Mechagodzilla), or just too weak like Ebirah, are gonna be Kaiju-zoans. Also as a response to your PM, no Gian can't breathe underwater. He still has a Devil Fruit after all so he is still affected by it's weaknesses.**

 **To Matt:**

 **Soon trademark**

 **To ZatGurlNextDoor:**

 **You'll have to wait like 2 more chapters for their first meeting but here's this one!**

 **To grg213:**

 **Yeah, back then there wasn't anything that he could do without making it grossly unfair. Gian has a special rule he set for himself that he will not use his Full Transformation unless the situation absolutely requires it (like in the Arlong Park Arc). Now that we're in the Grand Line he's gonna have more moments and he won't be defeated by people as easily. And as for how I wrote it, it was really just a teaser since nobody has seen the Partial Transformation up to that point.**

 **So that's it for this time, Gian how was your hunt?**

 **G: MY PHONE KEEPS CRASHING! But I did catch a bunch of Squirtles!**

 **Ahhh… tis the pain of having Pokemon Go…**

 **Oh and one last thing: SONG SUGGESTIONS!**

 **Seriously, my knowledge of music is very limited, so if anyone has a song they want to see me put as a future opening, leave it in the reviews or pm me! It doesn't have to be a song used for another opening, or even have to be Japanese!**

 **And with that we'll see you next time!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will join Team Instinct with me!**

 **G: Too late! I'm Mystic for life!**


	28. Pirate lovers are hard to come by

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **(Song: Mad Paced Getter by Tomohisa Sako)**

"YOU'RE INSANE GIAN! YOU'RE NOT SERIOUSLY PLANNING TO DO THAT HERE?!" the crew- minus Luffy of course- all yelped at what the man is suggesting.

Gian on the other hand, already climbed up the cliff where the lighthouse is, Atom Splitter was kept safely aboard the Merry, as so to not damage it during this.

"I've been called many things, might as well be called that too." Gian replied "Besides, he needs this." Ignoring the rest of his nakama's protests, he once again called upon the ability of Full Transformation.

The blinding flash of light also ended up rocking the ocean around it, its waves tossing the Going Merry left and right. The raging water also smacked waves into Laboon, drawing the big whale's attention.

" **Hey, big guy. Care for a spar?"** Gian proposed.

Laboon narrowed his eyes at this massive beast before him, before letting loose a bellow of challenge. Something about this being made his blood pump, and it felt good.

"We're all gonna die here…." Usopp moaned.

"Don't worry, Gian knows what he's doing." Luffy assured them.

"Well I'll be. Never thought I'd see something like this again!" Crocus commented.

"Crocus-san? You know about Kaiju-zoans?" Nami was with surprise.

Crocus only smiled mysteriously.

Back with the two titans, Laboon soon understood what he needs to do as Gian broke a part of the cliff and threw it at him. The whale let out a bellow and threw his weight forwards, breaking the massive rock with his body and crashing into the Fully Transformed Gian with a heavy slam, sending him crashing into the Cliffside. Gian strained and began pushing back, eventually throwing the massive whale away with a heave, Laboon sending a massive wave up as he hit the water, sending the crew screaming as they were tossed and turned.

Gian then fired an **Atom Ray** , taking in consideration not to actually hit the whale head on, the heat beam sending the water around Laboon up in fountains. Laboon let out a few surprised groans but was quick to retaliate and slammed his tail forwards, which Gian blocked with his own. Laboon then torpedoed himself back at Gian again, but this time he was ready, meeting the charge head on as the two titans pushed against each other in a show of strength. Their clash sent tons of rocks tumbling down towards the Going Merry, some of them narrowly missing the ship by mere inches. Luffy was laughing to himself as he saw the two massive creatures do battle, while the remaining 4 were huddled together and praying to whatever deity listening to save them. Meanwhile Crocus was looking at Gian with curiosity; it had been some years since he last encountered a Kaiju-zoan user, and it was always fascinating to see a Full Transformation.

With some difficulty, the two titans broke apart, panting slightly but still pumped with adrenaline. In his heart Laboon knew that this creature vastly overpowered him and can feel that he isn't even fighting at his full strength. Even so, the intimidating aura that the creature gave off just made it want to fight him even more!

" **You still have more left in you, dontcha?"** Gian snickered " **Then come on then!"** Laboon wasted no time in barreling himself forward again, the two massive beasts meeting up once again with a heavy slam. This time, the result was that Gian forced himself under the whale, lifting him up with herculean strength, and actually throwing the sea mammal a few distances away. A minute passed before Laboon resurfaced, ready to battle again.

" **I believe this is enough."** Gian stated, which caused Laboon, along with the rest of the crew, to give a look of surprise. " **Aren't we just two massive beasts of power? Each of our blows clash with the sound of a thunderclap? Any further and I believe we'll actually be able to break the Red Line."**

" **But there's the problem. I can't go into the water, and you can't come on land. Anything we do is nothing short of a stalemate, it's quite a shame isn't it?"** Gian deducted, causing Laboon's eye's to widen.

" **I know you want this to continue, it's the most rush you've gotten in a long time, isn't it? Believe me, I want it to continue as well. So at the very least, I'll promise you that one day, I'll find a way to be able to get into that sea and we'll get a real brawl together. Until then, I need you to promise me that you will never smack your head against this wall again. I don't want my rival to be covered in bruises when I come back here!"** Gian declared.

Laboon thought about it for a bit, then bellowed in agreement; finally the big whale had something to wait for again! Hearing this, everyone aboard the Going Merry smiled at the scene, finally understanding the whole point of that demonstration.

"So… as soon as this lethargy lifts itself, let's shake on it. No, better idea! I'll draw you a reminder of our first battle together!" Gian wheezed as he undid his transformation, when he suddenly found himself being held down by Usopp, Zoro and Nami.

"DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT DRAWING THAT ABOMINATION ANYWHERE ON HIS BODY!" Nami shouted as she realized what he meant.

"But he'll look good! And there has to be a reminder or he might forget!"

"There's no way he'll look good with that horrifying demon painted on him!" Zoro snapped back, remembering what Gian drew as his take on their flag.

"Shishishi! Don't worry Gian, I'll draw the reminder for you!" Luffy grinned, much to everyone else's horror.

"NO! Now look what you've done?! You have to stop him!" Gian shuddered. But it was too late, and in an instant Luffy managed to paint his deformed interpretation of the Straw Hat Jolly Roger upon the Whale's face, covering his scars.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Gian screamed in mock horror while the rest of the crew felt genuine remorse for the whale.

"Did we do the right thing?" Nami whispered.

"… It's the lesser of two evils." Zoro sighed.

"Am I missing something here?" Sanji wondered, not understanding why they did that.

"Trust me, you're better off not knowing." Usopp told him.

Laboon just whistled, apparently unconcerned of the hideous drawing on his snout.

"You guys sure are something" Crocus laughed. He is genuinely glad that the boy managed to convince Laboon to stop his head smashing, something he wasn't able to do for years. "Now, can I speak to the one that possesses the Kaiju-Zoan? There is something that I wish to say."

 _Meanwhile:_

"Oh my… you saw all that didn't you Miss Wednesday?" Mr. 9 whispered to the blue haired girl as they watched the entire ordeal from some distances away. The whole thing was terrifying, they did not expect to see something like that.

"I did… who would've guessed we'd run into people like those guys?" Miss Wednesday mumbled back hoarsely. "That monster… it's just like how Mr. 0.5 could-"

"It does!" Mr. 9 exclaimed "And I thought what Mr. 0.5 had was unique, but it turns out that there's an entire breed of them out there!" the king-dressing man suddenly began panicking.

"Oh no! We failed our mission! And that means the Boss is gonna punish us!" he gulps "W-what if he sucks us dry… or worse! He'll let Mr. 0.5-"

"T-that won't happen! It's just a small error isn't it?" Miss Wednesday tried to assure him, but even she was freaking out "We'll just go back to town and start over, to show them that we're still good agents!"

"Great idea Miss Wednesday! I'll just use the-" Mr. 9 looked like he was about to reach for something when his face suddenly blanked.

"I-IT'S GONE!"

 _Back with the Strawhats:_

"That Kaiju-zoan fruit, how long have you had it for?" Crocus asked Gian as the two of them sat a few distances away from the rest of the crew.

"For as long as I can remember to be honest, it's just been with me for the longest time of my life."

"And how long have you been using it?"

"Not much really, East Blue hardly has any need for the abilities. I've only done a Full Transformation 3 times in my life, this being the third." Gian replied.

Crocus closed his eyes for a bit "On my last voyage into the Grand Line, the pirate crew that I was with had two people just like you. Twins, a lady and a gentleman. Both of them also had Kaiju-zoan fruits, and it was from them that I learned of it."

Crocus continued his story "I remember the two of them, transforming simultaneously, one after another. Every enemy that stood against them, obliterated in an instant. It was there that I witnessed nature in its rawest."

"So you know of them, why are you telling me this?" Gian wondered.

"Kid, from that little show you put on, I can tell that you, despite your claim of almost never using it, have a great deal of control over your Kaiju abilities. But at the same time, I can tell that you've yet to truly master the fruit."

"That's kind of a given really, considering I hardly used it to begin with."

"And that's why I'm giving you a heads up, the road to mastering a Kaiju-zoan is one that must be fought hard, lest you see yourself sacrificing a part of your own humanity. Temper the Kaiju's power, but do not give in to the Kaiju's rage."

Now that got Gian alerted; he has never heard of this before. Even Triton had never told him about the supposed "Kaiju's rage" that this old man is now bringing up.

"Is that… what happened to those twins you mentioned?" Gian asked.

"Somewhat, I never got the whole story as the crew has disbanded for many years. I haven't heard from them for a long time after that. Then one day I was paid a visit by one of the twins, it was the girl, she appeared to have just emerged from a fight and was badly wounded. Can you guess what might have happened?"

Gian's eyes widened "Don't tell me that-"

"That's correct, the twins came into conflict with each other. Before they used to be so close with one another, always fighting side by side and sticking together. But something within the man changed, warped him, and turned him vengeful; the Kaiju's rage. He took this rage out on the people around him, and when his sister tried to stop him, he focused this rage on her too. That's what she told me that is, after he exiled her off the island they lived on together."

Gian was silent as he processed all this; he has no idea something like that was possible. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because the Kaiju's rage comes to light in the face of great loss, and when loss is felt, it is replaced by rage. Your journey will be a long one, full of struggles and there will no doubt be a time when you will lose something precious to you. Work hard to ensure that the Kaiju's rage will not overcome you should that ever happen." Crocus exclaimed.

"It won't! If what you said is possible, then I'll never let this so-called Kaiju's rage define me!" Gian replied adamantly; the last thing he wishes to do is his friends getting hurt because of him.

"I pray that is so, but you have a good chance. That's Straw hat boy is your captain is he not? He has a kind heart, him along with your friends are key in order help you quell that rage. Though nothing is sure fire going to work, it will come down to your own will in the end." Crocus told him.

"I see, thank you Crocus-san I will remember this." Gian replied, deep in thought over what he just learned. It seems that there are certain aspects of the Kaiju-zoan that Triton-senpai did not tell him.

Just then, the two of them heard a sudden scream. Standing up with a start, Gian raced over to the source, where he found that Nami had a panicked expression on her face, while staring at the rapidly spinning compass now in her hands.

"W-what is going on here?!" she whimpered.

"Wow… it's so hypnotizing!" Luffy marveled.

"This is serious Luffy, I remembered Triton-senpai telling me something about the properties of the Grand Line but I forgot what it was! Anyhow, that's what's causing the compass to do that."

"You got half of it right, the Grand Line is indeed causing this." Crocus informed them "More precisely, it's due to the irregular currents that pass through and the abnormal magnetic fields that the islands have. You're the navigator correct? Then you know how much trouble you guys are in?"

"Yes! How are we supposed to sail if we don't even know where we're going?!"

"Triton-senpai told me before that a certain instrument is used to navigate the seas here instead of compasses, what was it again?" Gian thought.

"What you need here is a Log Pose." Crocus revealed.

"Ah! That's the one!" Gian slapped his fist to his palm.

"What is a Log Pose?" Nami asked.

"It is a device that locks onto a single island and memorizes its magnetic field. Sort of like a compass, but different. To navigate the Grand Line, the Log Pose must readapt to a new magnetic field each time you wish to travel to a new location. There are 7 routes starting from here, and you'll have to pick one to travel on. Once you do however you just have to keep going forward, until the final destination is reached: Raftel!" Crocus explained.

"Raftel? That's where One Piece isn't it?" Usopp asked.

"Perhaps, no one has ever reached it yet since the Pirate King's death." Crocus smiled.

"Then that's where we have to go!" Luffy realized "Let's hurry!"

"Didn't you hear him Luffy? If we don't have a Log Pose then we can't navigate!" Sanji scolded.

"Bummer… oh that reminds me! I found some strange object on the deck after we threw off those two people, do any of you know what it is?" The boy asked and pulled out what appeared to be a wrist watch with a glass dome atop it. Inside the dome was a small needle similar to that in a compass, hanging from a wire.

"Ah, that's a Log Pose. Looks like you lot came prepared." Crocus stated.

"Wait… WHY DO YOU ONLY TELL US THIS NOW?!" Nami screamed and punched the rubber captain in the head.

"I'm sowwry…!" Luffy's face is now swollen.

"That's kid's luck… is too good sometimes…" Gian sighed.

"Anyway, if you have that, you'll have an easier time navigating." Crocus said.

"Yay! Than we can set sail again!" Luffy cheered.

"Hold on for one second, good sirs!" a voice suddenly called. The crew turned to see Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday climb aboard, water dripping off them.

"We have a request to make!" Miss Wednesday stated.

"Yeah! We need you guys to take us back to our island!" Mr. 9 followed up.

"You guys? Weren't you two the ones who tried to kill Laboon?" Nami frowned "What makes you think we'll help you?!"

"Please! You're all we can think of!" Mr. 9 begged again.

"You're the only ones that can help us!" Miss Wednesday replied.

"I say throw them back in." Zoro quipped.

"Hey! Don't say that to a lady!" Sanji frowned, obviously hinting at Miss Wednesday.

"Zoro has a point… these people might pull something if we help them…" Gian pointed out, reaching for Atom Splitter once again.

"We swear on our honor!" Mr. 9 quickly said.

"Yeah! We just want to return to our town!" Miss Wednesday followed up.

"But we don't even know you guys! Who do you people work for?" Usopp protested.

"That we cannot say!"

"Our organization thrives on secrecy!"

The crew deadpanned, it's clear that the duo would keep this up until they accept, and even if they threw them off again, they'd just keep coming back.

"…What is the name of your town…" Gian sighed

"Whiskey Peak, my good sir!" Mr. 9 answered.

"Just sir is fine." Gian snorted "What does everyone else think?"

"I don't know… what if they call back up while we're out at sea?" Usopp whimpered.

"Fine, let's just take them. It's not like we can't kick their asses if they tried to do something anyway." Zoro shrugged.

"Yeah, sure we'll give them a lift." Luffy nodded and that was that.

"Well then, if you are all set, then the Log Pose is locked onto Whiskey Peak and you can be off. I wish you all the best of luck on your journey." Crocus gave his farewell. During that time he had managed to fix the Going Merry's figurehead, reattaching it with a steel plate.

"Yeah! Thanks flower-jiji!" Luffy waved back.

"And I'll be seeing you again one day Laboon! Never forget that!" Gian saluted the whale, who gave a loud bellow back.

And with that, the crew sailed off, ready to go on their next leg of adventures. Crocus and Laboon watched them sail further and further away, a hint of fondness in their eyes,

" _Those people are certainly something, especially that boy with the Straw hat."_ Crocus thought " _Kind of like you, Roger?"_

 _Later:_

"DOES SOMEONE WANT TO TELL ME WHY IT'S RAINING AND SNOWING AT THE SAME TIME?!" Nami screeched while, around them, it is doing exactly that. Luffy and Usopp obviously don't mind, and are playing around in the snow, but for everyone else it was trying to stay dry.

"This is the Grand Line, where the weather is unpredictable. Anything can happen and you won't even know what hits you!" Miss Wednesday reminded them. The two of them had been forced to help out with the ship as all the strange weather hit them.

"Gian, didn't you spend some time in the so-called New World? Was the weather like this?" Sanji asked.

"Oh yeah, way worse actually. The further you get in the Grand Line, the more erratic the weather gets." Gian shivered again.

"Great… we have that to look forward to then…" Zoro muttered.

"In any case, we got to get out of- OH NO! EVERYONE TURN THE SHIP AROUND!" Nami screamed.

"What's wrong?" Gian asked.

"We're going the wrong way! I didn't look at the Log Pose for one second and then the ship went another direction! We didn't even notice!"

"Can you believe this? We've been out here for only a couple of hours and already I've wrestled with a whale and getting hit by the strange nature of this place." Gian sighed and turned the ship around.

"Thanks, we're already aware of that… now go help out!"

Indeed, the Grand Line is an unpredictable place. In the span of around an hour, the crew experienced high winds, sunny skies, and pouring hail, one after another. All that paid off however, when the crew spotted land in the distance. It looked like bunches of cacti grouped up together to form one single island.

"Is that it?" Usopp asked.

"Yes! That's our home, Whiskey Peak!" Mr. 9 cried out.

"Thank you all for the ride, perhaps we'll meet again!" Miss Wednesday smiled back and the two agents jumped off the ship and swam towards the shore, leaving the crew still figuring out who they are.

"Strange… Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday… I could've sworn I heard those names somewhere before…" Zoro frowned.

"Well it doesn't matter now! We have ourselves an island to explore!" Luffy cheered.

"Um… that island looks really ominous… do we have to go?" Usopp stammered.

"That's why we're going, it looks cool enough to draw anyway." Gian stated.

"Besides, the Log Pose needs to reset, I don't know how long it would take though." Nami reminded him.

"T-then you guys go! I have 'can't-go-on-this-island' disease I'll just wait here!" Usopp grinned shakenly, before yelping as Gian clasped an arm around his shoulders.

"Don't worry, if there's any trouble I'll transform and scare it off."

"I'm more afraid of that…"

The crew sailed upriver, further and further into Whiskey Peak. By now a dense fog has surrounded the waters around them, making vision difficult.

And then they heard the noises.

"EEEK! There really are monsters here!" Usopp screamed.

"Be alert, they could jump us at any moment." Gian warned and reached for Atom Splitter, with Zoro reaching for his swords and Sanji bracing himself.

The noises grew louder, and then Luffy pointed out that there are shadowy figures among the fog. The crew anxiously await whatever attack was about to take place.

And then they heard what appears to be cheering.

"Hello! Hello! Welcome to our town, pirates!" a group of happy, cheerful people waved and clapped while laughing. Some were grown ups, some were children, and there were even some nuns and monks.

"Welcome to Whiskey Peak, the pirate-loving town!"

And thus, the mood on the ship shifted from alertness to confusion.

"They're… not monsters… they're people!" Usopp realized.

"And they're welcoming us?" Nami frowned.

"…Does anyone else feel ripped off that we were prepared for an attack but received none?" Gian asked, Atom Splitter hasn't seen any action for so long!

"HEY!" Luffy waved back, obviously relaxed.

A big man stepped out of the crowd when the ship docked at the shore. The man is wearing a dark blue suit and carrying a saxophone. His long white hair is curled into many spirals, 3 on each side of his head. Overall, the man looked like an aristocrat.

"Ma~ma~ma, welcome to our town brave pirates! I am Igarappoi, the mayor of Whiskey Peak, and I welcome you to take a breather here in our humble town, until you are ready to cast off onto your journey once again!" the man announced jovially.

"Hi curly hair old man! I'm Luffy! Can we really stay for the night?"

"Of course! Our hospitality for pirates is absolute! Every refreshment here is yours to enjoy!" Igarappoi laughed.

"Then don't mind if we do!" Luffy, Sanji and Usopp cheered and raced off.

"You three come and enjoy yourselves as well! We have all the sake in the world!"

"Well, I could use some drinks, what about you guys?" Zoro asked.

"I don't drink." Gian stated. When you have an underaged child living with you, alcohol is generally non-existent within the Ibuki-Jinkawa household.

"I think I'll pass as well. I'll come with you though, but first I gotta ask when does the Log Pose reset?" Nami asked.

"That's something to worry about another time! For now, just enjoy the festivities!" Igarappoi shrugged it off.

"Well then, I'll come with you guys, I need to eat something anyway." Gian sighed and the 3 of them walked off.

They didn't notice that then, Igarappoi's expression turned sinister.

 _Later:_

As promised, the local townsfolk threw the Straw Hats a big party. Food and drink were abundant and everybody was having a good time.

Luffy was eating all the food he can get his hands on, Sanji was flirting with a group of girls, Usopp is telling an overly-exaggerated tale with onlookers exclaiming in awe.

Hours into the party, Igarappoi suddenly made an announcement.

"Today is a special occasion! Because of our good harvest this year, we have a surplus of wine! As such, it is tradition here to hold our Kanpai Contest, where everybody drinks until they drop! Last man standing wins!"

"A drinking contest huh? I guess I'll humor them!" Zoro grinned, he could always go for more alcohol.

"You guys do it, I already said I don't drink." Gian reminded them.

"Yeah, I think I'll lay off the drinks tonight as well." Nami said. Or she would have, until:

"To all who are joining, do your best! And if you win, the grand prize is 100 000 beri!"

"COUNT ME IN!" Nami cheered. Gian just sighed and shook his head at that.

It was certainly a sight to behold, a large group of people all chugging down cup after cup of alcohol. However, it would only last so long as one by one the contestants started falling down until finally, only Zoro, Nami and a nun remained.

"This is ridiculous… where do those two hold all that liquor?" Gian stared blankly. Zoro he was aware of having high tolerance, but Nami?

After drinking down 13 rounds, Zoro finally couldn't hold up anymore. "That's it… I'm done for the day…" he mumbled and turned over to sleep.

"C'mon, hic, Zoro! You got more than that right?" Nami slurred as she held up her 14th cup. She and the nun went on for about another few rounds before the nun slumped over as well.

"YEAAAH! I WIN!" Nami gave a drunk cheer and promply fell down as well.

"The demon that is alcohol claims more victims tonight." Gian sighed, he looked on to the rest of his crewmates still having a good time, Luffy was now swollen up like a balloon, Sanji was in bliss, and Usopp looked tired as well.

"Guess I'll hit the sack as well." Gian nodded and found a nice corner to doze off into.

 _Later:_

"Ugh… bathroom…" Gian woke up blearily and shook his head as he used Atom Splitter as a leverage to stand up and stumbled out of the tavern to take a leak. After managing to releave himself he was about to head back, when he heard some commotion ahead of him. Going forward, he hid behind a building, and peeked out.

"You two did well to lure them here." The voice belong to Igarappoi, and it seems like he wasn't alone.

"It wasn't easy, they were hard to convince. I still couldn't believe we had to travel with them after they ruined our mission…" Gian's eyes widened slightly when he recognized the figure of Miss Wednesday

"Also, what makes you think you can handle them, Mr. 8?" now it was Mr. 9 speaking.

Igarappoi, or Mr. 8, chuckled at that.

"They've already been taken care of, right Miss Monday?"

Miss Monday turned out to be the nun that was at the drinking contest earlier, except that instead of a religious preacher she was pink haired, muscular woman, standing very tall. She wore a white and red checkered dress.

"Yes, they have all fallen asleep even though it took them a while. If it wasn't for us adding more alcohol to their drinks, they'd probably still be up and about right now. To be fair, we got lucky. There were not much supplies left, as usual." Miss Monday replied.

"Good, then we'll act soon." Mr. 8 replied. This made Gian more alert.

" _That's all I needed to know."_ Gian thought as he reached for Atom Splitter and prepared to storm out… only to hear someone hiss at him from above. He looked up and saw that Zoro was sitting on the rafters.

"How long have you been here?"

"A while now, and trying to interpret what they're saying." Zoro whispered back.

"It seems fishy, should we go in there and make'em talk?" Gian asked.

"Wait a bit longer, let's hear the reason behind it." Zoro responded.

"I thought you were drunk?"

"Yeah, a little alcohol isn't enough to do that to me." Gian just nodded and the two continued to listen to the group talk.

"And it is our good fortune too, for two of those people are wanted pirates" Mr. 8 added "One of them is 'Straw Hat' Monkey D. Luffy, worth 30 million beri, while the other is 'Beast Warrior' Gian, worth 16.5 million. That's a total of 46 and a half million beri you know?"

"N-No way?! The guys we ran into?" Miss Wednesday stammered.

"I find it hard to believe, considering the two of them are currently dozing off…" Miss Monday added.

"We can take that time and loot their belongings then!" Mr. 9 stated.

"More than that, we need to do more to them considering the two of you failed your mission to get the whale all the agents, we're going to capture them alive. We'll report it to the Boss later." Mr. 8 ordered, unaware that there were two people listening in.

"I think I understand now, let's go." Gian nodded to Zoro and the two swiftly jumped out from their hiding space and into plain sight, startling the group.

"You guys! How did-?" Mr. 8 choked out.

"Yeah… about capturing us? You might wanna let them sleep a bit more. They are tired after all." Zoro sneered.

"So in return, we're offering ourselves to you." Gian grinned savagely as his eyes got their amber colored hue again "That is, if you're even able to take us."

 **A/N: Onto the second arc of the Alabasta Saga, what I did here is just start off Whiskey Peak and I'll finish it in the next chapter. Maybe I'll be doing that with future arcs that are too short, like Long Ring Long Island. This way, we can have chapters of the bigger, more important arcs and focus on them fully without things feeling rushed.**

 **But yeah, since both Reverse Mountain and Whiskey Peak are rather short, they're done in just two chapters. I don't know how long Little Garden will take, perhaps 3 chapters, but I just want to get their quickly because I can't wait to get to Drum Island and Chopper.**

 **G: Maybe if you spend more time writing instead of hanging around at lures you would be there by now.**

 **Oh silly, silly Gian! Those Psyduck aren't going to catch themselves you know!**

 **G: Fuck that! Though you're close to evolving the one you have, right?**

 **Yeah, definitely.**

 **Onto the responses! And holy shit! I think this time I got the most review out of all the chapters! Thanks for giving this feedback!**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **Ahhh, Godzilla 2014 references.**

 **And yeah, I hope to add those guys too. I have a rough plan for what Spacegodzilla's counterpart is already in fact.**

 **G: So what about Biollante… whatever that is.**

 **That needs more work, but I am planning on it.**

 **To anquan:**

 **Are you dead yet?**

 **G: I sure hope not.**

 **Well, let's just say their first encounter will be very memorable.**

 **To biowolf864:**

 **Here you go!**

 **G: we aim to please!**

 **To Noble Pirate:**

 **That was a bit of a hard one for me, even with the filler arc recently we still don't know much about Bartolomeo's backstory. I just assumed he has his devil fruit early on, plus it helps bring out some scenarios.**

 **G: adlib at its finest.**

 **To omegadramon2:**

 **I have seen the Mothra Trilogy, they're rather good, and somewhat underappreciated.**

 **As of right now the Mothra counterpart does not have any interactions with Gideon. Gideon is Gian's rival and Gian's rival only. As for the other Mothra monsters, I might consider putting them in if I can find a way to fit them.**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **I'll give a little hint, this is the order the monsters will appear in one way or another: Battra, Kumonga, King Kong, Anguirus. I'll let you guess what roles they'll play and whether they're Kaiju-Zoans or not.**

 **Megaguirus I still haven't had a part for yet, and I haven't really thought about how Gamera can fit in all this, but if I can I'll definitely add him somehow.**

 **And Rodan isn't Triton's monster. Triton's transformation is based off of Titanosaurus. Rodan will be appearing before all the monsters I listed though.**

 **And as for the allied thing, they will mostly be the same, but not always (case and point: Triton), but Mothra's counterpart will be allied with Gian, just not how you expect it to be.**

 **To Vergil Leonidas:**

 **You're completely right! I really plan on using Butterfly in one of the arcs, it's just too good of a song not to use.**

 **G: DO IT! JUST! DO IT!**

 **To starelight:**

 **Thanks, and don't worry Gian will meet Robin next chapter!**

 **G: Is she hot?**

 **Oh, you have no idea.**

 **To JoeH120:**

 **Thanks! Glad you liked it!**

 **G: I love you too!**

 **To tamagat… and your entire horde of reviews from start to now:**

 **Yeah we're just gonna respond to the most recent review, since there are questions there.**

 **G: damn some people take this seriously…**

 **I'm only doing the important flashbacks that are needed for the character, otherwise I just make passing comments about them. So you don't have to worry about that too much!**

 **Right now Gian's transformation is based off of Final Wars Godzilla, but it will change come post-timeskip.**

 **And as for size, Partial Transformation brings Gian's height to 3 feet over Brook, and Full Transformation is just a few inches above Oars.**

 **Triton's kaiju is based off of Titanosaurus.**

 **And yes, Haki is unaffected during a transformation, so Kaiju-zoan users are still able to use them.**

 **G: And we've answered everything! And thank you for your song suggestions, they are great.**

 **Well that's all for now, we'll see you next chapter.**

 **Leave a review and Gian will go face Full Life Consequences!**

 **G: I have to shoot fast and bullets too slow!**


	29. Sunday Princesses

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **(Song: Mad Paced Getter by Tomohisa Sako)**

"How… how are the two of you not passed out?!" Mr. 8 demanded.

"A real swordsman never lets alcohol dominate him." Zoro stated.

"And I didn't drink anything, remember?" Gian reminded him.

"Grrr… it doesn't matter! You guys don't know what you've gotten yourselves into." Mr. 8 replied.

"Don't we? I already know what this is. The entire town pretends they are all friendly with pirates, when in reality it's just a façade to capture them and steal all their belongings. After all, what else would a town full of bounty hunters do?" Zoro grinned "Am I right, Baroque Works?"

Mr. 8's eyes widened "H-how did you know-"

"A few years ago one of your agents came into contact with me and proposed I join your little organization. I shot him down then, but I know a bit on how you guys work. Your agents use codenames, and they are usually paired up with a man and a woman on each duo. You guys don't even know the identity of your boss. That sums it up does it?"

"He knows it, I don't. Although your name isn't exactly a small one." Gian added. "What would a criminal organization want with a few pirates like us?"

"You don't have to know that. You've already meddled in our business too much for us to let you just saunter off scot free. So we are capturing you right here." Mr. 8 grinned.

"Just the 4 of you? Considering we already showed the two stooges who thought they could take us at Reverse Mountain what's up already, you guys couldn't be that different." Gian scoffed.

"Well then, would you like to put that bluff to the test? Let's see you guys handle 100 bounty hunters at once!" Mr. 8 shouted. And indeed, upwards to 100 bounty hunters showed up out of nowhere, brandishing weapons of all sorts and glaring menacingly at the duo.

"Oh, you were serious… Well let's not keep them waiting Zoro!"

"Get them!" Mr 8 commanded, and the bounty hunters all charged at once. But before they could even move, the two disappeared.

* * *

"W-where did they go?" one of them asked.

"I don't know, it's too dark and I can't- AUUUGH!"

He never finished as Zoro appeared beside him and cut him down with a single sweep of Sandai Kitetsu.

"Shoot him! Shoot him!" the bounty hunters cried out. Their attempts were in vain however, as Zoro's was always one step ahead of them. They only managed to fire at themselves. The ones who weren't injured found themselves facing Zoro, only to be struck by Yubashiri.

Zoro was grinning, the rush of battle was making his blood pump. The two new swords he got back at Loguetown were far superior compared to his old ones, especially Sandai Kitetsu; Zoro thought he was imagining it, but he felt as if the sword was actively begging for more bodies to cut up.

" _I'm really glad I found the two of them, both Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu are perfect for me…"_

And he would get plenty more chance to cut them up, for more bounty hunters rushed at him. Zoro grinned and got into a new stance before leaping up into the air.

" **Nitoryu: Taka Nami!"**

Twin blades of high winds shot forward, slicing apart multiple foes. More bounty hunters tried their luck but only met the same fate. They were completely outmatched.

Within 5 minutes, Zoro had taken down all 100 bounty hunters, and he was barely winded. The look on the remaining Baroque Works officers were as if they just saw a demon.

* * *

"I-impossible… he took down 100 men?!" Mr. 9 squawked.

"The 'Pirate Hunter'… his reputation really isn't farfetched…" Mr.8 gritted.

"Does anyone else want to try?" Zoro sneered.

"S-so you can defeat a couple of underlings… you will see that I am different from them…" Miss Monday muttered as she strode forward.

"Wait… wasn't there two of you? Where is-?" Mr. 8 suddenly remembered. Before a loud crash sounded and Miss Monday found herself sprawled on the ground, almost hitting the other Baroque Works members.

* * *

"Zoro, you should've told me when you were finished with the small fry…" Gian sighed "I was getting so impatient."

"You know you were free to join in at any time, right?" Zoro told him.

"Really? Must've slipped my mind. Well I'll make it up with this." And Atom Splitter was out, slamming into the ground and sending a cloud of dust into the air.

"You were fast to surprise me" Miss Monday groaned as she picked herself up "But I will overpower you with my strength!"

Said woman then threw a punch, actually sent Gian skidding for a few inches.

"Well you weren't lying when you said that…" Gian smirked "But compared to my strength, that is nothing."

"Don't get cocky!" Miss Monday snarled and brought another fist forward, except this time Gian simply held out his hand and caught it, much to her shock.

"You know, if it isn't too much trouble, you should tell me your workout technique after this." Gian said as he began to squeeze his hand down on her fist, ever bit of pressure greater than the last. Miss Monday let out a scream of pain before Gian stomp kicked her back again.

"That's one off the list."

"You bastard… **Igarappa!"**

Mr. 8's suddenly pulled out a saxophone and blew into it as anyone would, except what came out was not music, but a scatter shot of bullets. Gian had to spin Atom Splitter around to form a makeshift shield, the Guandao spinning fast enough for some of the bullets to ricochet around, though some still managed to graze him.

"Holy shit… where were you hiding that?" Gian drawled. His answer was another barrage of bullets, forcing him to jump out of the way this time.

"Ok… if you want to compare projectiles, then I'll humor you." Gian nodded before leaping up into the air.

" **Igarappa!"** Mr. 8 fired again, believing him to be wide open.

" **Atom Ray!"** Gian's heat ray lanced through the air, consuming and melting the bullets and crashing into the ground before Mr. 8, sending the shocked man flying backwards.

"Seriously, this is the power of a criminal organization? My little brother hits harder than this! Zoro, you really should've accepted their offer, at least you could've whipped them into shape."

"Heh, I told them I wanted to be the boss, but they won't accept that, maybe they will now." The swordsman joked back.

"Don't you two mock Baroque Works, I'll show you! **Nekketsu Nine Konjo Bat!"** Mr. 9 shouted.

Mr. 9 swung both of his metal baseball bats down hard in an attempt to strike the Kaiju-zoan user's skull. He found himself blocked by Gian raising Atom Splitter ever so slightly, and just like before found that he had locked weapons with the other man. Mr. 9 was in another losing battle of strength.

"This weapons weighs 45 kilograms, have you ever lifted anything that heavy?" Gian sneered. Mr. 9's eyes widened when he heard that, noticing too late that Gian had already swung the Guandao upwards, sending him flying skywards.

Gian was about to deliver a downward slash with the polearm until he heard something whistling through the air. He swiftly moved his head to the side just as what appears to be a flying bladed disk attached to a flexible string whizzed passed him.

"Careful now, you wouldn't want your head to be taken off by my peacock slashers, now would you?" Miss Wednesday smirked as she dashed towards Gian atop what appears to be a large yellow duck.

"I've seen sharper things." Gian frowned and brought Atom Splitter directly down in the path of the blue haired girl, causing her and the duck to go sprawling. He was about to move again before he felt something metal wrap around his arms.

"I got you now! He's wide open Miss Wednesday!" Mr. 9 gloated as two chains extended out of his metal baseball bats, tying themselves around Gian.

"You think that can stop me?" Gian snarled and, throwing his body forwards, literally lifted Mr. 9 off the ground. He swung his arms forwards and spun around in a circle, using the king-dressing man like a makeshift flail. Mr. 9 ended up smacking into the recovering Miss Wednesday and her duck, sending the 3 of them flying over multiple buildings; they could even by at the other side of town…

"Ok, if you guys are done playing around, we'd like to go get our nakama now, so stay out of our way." Gian glared at the now recovering Mr. 8

"Dammit… you're 'Beast Warrior' Gian are you? How are you worth less than your captain?" Mr. 8 gritted. Comparing the two people, this tall, muscular man having a smaller bounty than the smiling kid is preposterous! "Are you sure that either you or the swordsman isn't really the captain?"

"Heh, please. The two of us already mopped the floors with you guys. There's a good chance that you wouldn't be conscious if Luffy were to get in on this." Gian stated.

"I believe that, I wouldn't be surprised by this point after seeing all this." Mr. 8 coughed. "Maybe I can trust you guys with my mission…"

* * *

This caught the two men by surprise. "Mission? Explain." Zoro growled.

Mr. 8 sighed "My real name is Igaram, I am the captain of the Alabasta Royal Guard. A while back I infiltrated Baroque Works with Vivi-sama in order to find out who the leader behind it all really is, as well as their goal. We managed to learn of that, and the truth is quite sinister. Right now I beg of you, please escort Vivi-sama back to Alabasta, it is of utmost importance that she makes it back safely!"

"And you expect us to trust you, why? After all you and 100 of your guys just tried to kill us." Zoro stated.

"I understand that our first impressions wasn't the most pleasant, but this is very important. Right now the Boss of Baroque Works is planning something terrifying for Alabasta, and we're the only ones who knows this! At least she has to get back! Vivi-sama's survival is key!" Igaram pleaded.

"Wait, Vivi? Who's that?" Gian scratched his head.

"Mah-Mah, my mistake. Vivi-sama has taken the codename of Miss Wednesday." Igaram reported.

"Oh you mean the blue haired girl I threw across town?" Gian remembered.

"Yes, as much as I want to punish you so badly for that act, you will have to go retrieve her."

"You do realize that we're thinking that you're setting up a trap for us right? No dice." Gian scoffed.

Igaram was getting anxious "I swear on my honor for my country! This really needs to-"

"My, My… how sad that 4 of our frontier agents have fallen to merely two people." A new masculine voice said.

"Kyahahaha, what do you expect Mr. 5? It's no wonder why we are ranked higher than they are!" a high pitched female voice also was heard.

* * *

Two people were standing atop the roof right behind the trio. One of them is wearing a brown trench coat, his hair unruly and his eyes covered by a pair of sunglasses. The other was a woman wearing a lemon colored dress, while carrying an umbrella.

"Mr. 5! Miss Valentine!" Igaram called out.

"It's a good thing you are here Mr. 8, saves us the trouble of locating you later." Mr. 5 sneered.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, I think you know exactly what we mean, Mr. 8. Or should we say, Igaram of the Alabasta Royal Guard?" Miss Valentine cackled. Igaram's eyes widened.

"That's right, we already figured out your identity some time ago. You as well as Princess Nefeltari Vivi! The Boss had been concerned with that there were spies within the ranks that could learn of his identity, and thus we were sent to eliminate them." Mr. 5 declared.

"Dammit… They found out who I am! You two, I implore you one more time to consider this! You must ensure that the princess is to be escorted back to Alabasta! Go now! I will hold them off!" Igaram shouted.

"They will never get the chance." Miss Valentine sneered before snapping her fingers, and just like that, about 100 more bounty hunters showed up.

"Wait, what? Where were these guys hiding?!" Gian deadpanned.

"It's just more trouble for us…" Zoro growled.

"I won't let you lay a hand on Vivi-sama! **Igarappappa!"** the captain of the royal guard suddenly revealed that his hair contained multiple gun barrels, each one firing simultaneously at the two superior agents. However, Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine simply avoided them with ease.

"Pathetic." Mr. 5 muttered before flicking a small black object at Igaram. Upon contact, it created an explosion that sent the man flying into a building.

"P-Protect… Vivi-sama…" Igaram hissed in pain, barely conscious.

"He shouldn't last too long, let us go get the princess." Mr. 5 ordered as the two departed.

"Well… looks like he was telling the truth. Ah crap I forgot where I threw her! We have to find her again!" Gian was about to follow but suddenly he was blocked by the bounty hunters from before.

"Looks like we have make them move first…" Zoro hissed.

"I really hate when people add more difficulty to things I do…" Gian growled before swinging Atom Splitter in a wide arc to combat the advancing Baroque Works members.

 _A bit later:_

The explosion managed to stir Nami from her drunken stupor. Shaking her head, she blearily stepped outside.

And came across the scene of Gian and Zoro taking care of the last few bounty hunters.

"That made us waste so much time! Those two could have found her by now!" Gian shouted.

"Yeah… this is problematic, hey old man, sorry we doubted you." Zoro mumbled.

"No need… to worry about that now… You have to… find Vivi-sama…" Igaram hissed.

"Gian? Zoro? What is this all about?" Nami questioned as she tried and failed to comprehend the situation.

"Oh, Nami's up. Well, we apparently got escort duty to do now. You see…" And Gian gave a light explaination to what they learned these last few minutes.

"Please hurry… I promise that you will be rewarded handsomely for completing this mission…" Igaram implored again.

"Well… after hearing all that it's a bit hard to believe…" Nami nodded "But you said there will be a reward? OK! If you give us 1 billion beri then we'll be more than happy to!"

"YOU COMPLETELY MISSED THE POINT!" Gian facefaulted.

"Greedy witch…" Zoro scoffed, before Nami cuffed him.

Needless to say Igaram was flabbergasted at the ridiculous request "I-I can't promise you that much money! I'm just a mere soldier… Perhaps you can negotiate with Vivi-sama herself for something… But you have to save her first! Her survival impacts Alabasta's future itself!"

"Ok… so we go save the damsel and act as her coachmen for the duration of this, and we get money. Sounds like a good plan, now where did I throw her off to again?" Gian pondered. His thoughts was interrupted when everybody's attention was snapped up to the sound of an explosion in the distance.

"That might be her."

 _Meanwhile:_

"Run… Miss Wednesday…" Mr. 9's smoking body gave a hiss before slumping to the ground.

"NO!"

"Are you just gonna keep hiding behind other people? This will be quicker if you just accept it." Mr. 5 growled as the two of them got closer to the princess.

Miss Wednesday, or as we now know as Princess Nerfeltari Vivi, is in deep trouble right now. It turns out that the Leader of Baroque Works knew more than he let on, and she and Igaram's identities have been revealed. Vivi is very worried whether the captain of the Royal Guard is alright or not, but she has bigger things to be concerned about right now. In a surprising act of heroics, Mr. 9 had used himself as a shield for her even as her true identity came to light, putting his friendship on the line. But it wasn't enough, For Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine were still locked onto her.

"Carue, go faster! We need to get to the docks!" Vivi shouted to her duck. The duck tried it's best to dash as quick as it can towards the location. The princess herself looked much worse for wear, her hair, once tied up, now hang loosely around her face and her clothes were a bit tattered.

"You're not escaping that easily!" Mr. 5 growled as he flicked another black object. The projectile narrowly missed the princess, but the intended target was a building ahead of her. The explosion caused multiple pieces of debris to rain down, blocking her path.

"Kyahahaha! Nowhere to run now!" Miss Valentine closed in on her.

"Not if I have anything to say." Another voice alerted the 3.

"M-Miss Monday?" Vivi whimpered as she saw the larger woman appear in front of her.

"Go, I will hold them off. You can reach the docks taking this detour." Miss Monday declared firmly, planting a wooden log beside her.

"B-but what about-?"

"Don't worry about me, leave now! Or do you want Mr. 9's sacrifice to be in vain? I will be punished regardless for my failure, so I might as well be a shield for a friend! "

Vivi tearfully nodded before racing off in the direction pointed atop Carue. Not a moment later did she hear another explosion and looked back in horror to see Miss Monday slumping over.

"Same old weaklings… Always preaching that garbage about friends… it makes them weak!" she heard Mr. 5 growl; they were gaining on her again. Inside she was beating herself for having to rely on so many people just to escape. Both Mr. 9 and Miss Monday were now possibly dead and she could do nothing. It was not a good feeling.

"End of the line, Nefeltari Vivi!" Mr. 5 grinned before launching another black projectile. This time there was nowhere to dodge and she watched helplessly as the black ball fly closer and closer to her.

That was before a blade cut in front of her, slicing the black ball in half, causing it to explode harmlessly. Vivi shielded herself from the dust, and when it cleared her eyes were wide as she noticed that the person who came to her rescue was the green-haired swordsman who fought them before.

"I found her, Gian now can we hurry up and get her back so that witch can get off of mine?" the swordsman muttered gruffly.

"I heard that Zoro!" a female voice snapped somewhere in the distance. Vivi couldn't see her, but she vaguely recalled an orange haired girl was among them when she saw them back at Reverse Mountain. That was probably her.

"What? More people getting in our way?!" Miss Valentine hissed. The two agents were about to retaliate when a blue beam of light lanced towards them. The two barely jumped out of the way; they can feel the intense heat even as it missed them.

Vivi then felt the black haired man that faced her earlier land beside her "Hey, I didn't throw you too hard, right?" he asked.

"N-no…"

"Good, because we don't have a doctor aboard yet so if you had gotten hurt we might not be the best people to ask."

"Who are you people? Why do you get the way of our mission?" Mr. 5 demanded.

"Just a bunch of pirates who are bored, why do you ask?" Gian shrugged.

"W-what are you people trying to do?" Vivi whispered. The same people who she fought were now seemingly helping her? That doesn't look right.

"Just relax, we'll explain later."

Needless to say, Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine were not happy in the least.

"You people have gotten in the way of the wrong people. I'll have to take care of all of you! **Nose Fancy Cannon!"**

The same black projectile, now revealed to be the result of the man picking his nose, was launched forward at high speeds. Gian's eyes widened as he brought Atom Splitter down in a single slash, cutting the projectile in two and having it explode on either side.

"That is the power of the Bomu Bomu no mi, my entire body is a living bomb, even down to my mucus!" Mr. 5 gloated.

"Wait… T-THAT WAS FROM YOUR NOSE?!" Gian shouted. "AW SHIT THAT WAS SO DISGUSTING! MY BLADE JUST TOUCHED SNOT! ZORO WIPE IT OFF!" he groaned as he thrust the blade towards the swordsman.

"GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!" Zoro snapped back with shark teeth.

"BUT IT'S UNCLEAN!"

"THEN CLEAN IT YOURSELF!"

"ZOROOOOO-!"

"Hey! Stop ignoring us!" Miss Valentine shouted angrily.

"Shut up! Your partner tainted my weapon and I still haven't told him what for yet, so wait your damn turn!" Gian broke her off like some child having a tantrum.

"Grr… Mr. 5, you know what to do!" the man nodded before kicking at the grown, causing another explosion. Miss Valentine then unfurled her parasol, catching the updraft and lifting high into the air. When she reached the highest point, she sneered before suddenly dropping rapidly.

" **10 000 Kilo Press!"** and just like that, the woman slammed down into the pavement, which the little group just barely dodged to the side. The result of this was a massive crack in the ground as the increased weight forced the earth to cave in.

"Kyahahaha! My Kilo Kilo no mi will crush you all!"

"So they're devil fruit users… that actually makes my job easier!" Gian thought as he brought out Atom Splitter once again. "Zoro, let's get this done."

"Yeah, we've wasted enough time with these idiots."

"You still think you can prevent us from taking out the princess?" Mr. 5 frowned.

"Yeah, we'll end this right now. After what we've seen, you guys aren't much." Gian scoffed.

"Arrogant bastard!" Mr. 5 snarled as he ran forward to deliver a punch. Gian however simply slid under the incoming arm, before swinging Atom Splitter in a wide arc, hitting the man with the blunt end of the blade, pinning him to the ground.

"W-what? This weapon has… Kairoseki?" Mr. 5 groaned in shock.

"Bitch you guessed it, HOOH! Youse right." Gian affirmed "Glad you know what it does, now begone." He then delivered a kick to the man, causing him to crash into a nearby building. Hearing a shrill scream a few distances off he saw that Zoro had managed to defeat his opponent quickly as well, With Miss Valentine lying a few distances away.

"I-impossible… how strong are they?!" Vivi whispered from the sidelines. Defeating two agents that ranked higher than them with a single blow? Who were these guys?

"Well, that's done, now let's-"

"AAAAAARRRGGHHH! ZOROOOOO! GIAANNNNN!" an angry voice suddenly screamed.

"OH WHAT NOW?!"

* * *

"HOW DARE YOU TWO DO THIS?! THESE KIND PEOPLE GAVE US FOOD YET YOU BEAT THEM UP!" Luffy angrily pointed at them. After finally waking up from his food coma he came across the scene of people lying around, heavily wounded. Only two people could possibly have done this, and to think his own nakama would be so ungrateful!

"Luffy, what are you talking about?!" Zoro snapped.

"You… don't know what's going on here… do you?" Gian realized.

"I KNOW ENOUGH! HOW CAN YOU BE SO UNGRATEFUL?!"

"Yeah… he has no idea what's happened. Hey look- OH SHIT!" Gian tried to explain but it was clear Luffy was not listening as he immediately attempted to strike the two. It devolved into the 3 of them tumbling around in a dust cloud, beating each other up.

"W-what is going on? Aren't the 3 of you nakama?" Vivi asked perplexed as she witnessed the entire scene.

"You tell me! He's the one that's rabid right now!" Gian snapped before he was dragged back into the fray. The 3 continued their scuffle, until divine intervention came, though not in the form they expect.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THE 3 OF YOU?!" Nami screamed as she proceeded to bash the 3 of them atop their heads with her staff. That was enough to end the fight as the 3 of them clutched their bumps.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU GUYS, YOU ALMOST CAUSED ME TO LOSE MY 1 BILLION BERI!" she continued.

"You see Luffy? I'll tell you the real reason now!" Gian snapped. And thus he explained, in his own words, how everything went down.

"Oh, so those guys were bounty hunters? Ok, good job beating them up you two!" Luffy's expression was a complete 180 from before.

"JUST LIKE THAT?!"

"Anyway, let's see the princess!" Luffy declared.

"Thank you all for saving me, but why? We were enemies before this!" Vivi pointed out.

"Because I want my 1 billion beri! Now fork it over!" As usual, that's what came to Nami's mind.

"1-1 billion? What are you even asking?!"

"Come on! You're a princess, 1 billion should be like pocket change to you! If you give us that, we'll escort you back to your country!"

"But I have nothing on me right now! I sincerely thank you all for saving me, but I must return to Alabasta!" Vivi pointed out.

"Oh yeah, why were you two infiltrating them in the first place anyway?" Gian asked.

"Alabasta currently is in turmoil. A group of rebels have banded together in an attempt to overthrow my father, and constant conflict like this has turned my once peaceful country onto the verge of a civil war… And at the center of all this is Baroque Works! Igaram and I posed as Baroque Works agents to find out their true motive. And indeed, Mr. 0, the leader, is planning something much worse. He says his goal is to make a utopian society, but it's just a guise of his true plan to take over Alabasta!" Vivi slammed her fist into the ground angrily, she never felt so helpless before.

"Wow… I never thought something that major was happening…" Nami whispered.

"Who is this Mr. 0 anyway?" Luffy asked.

"I-I can't tell you that!" Vivi suddenly became flustered.

"What? But don't you know?" Nami asked as well.

"I do! But if you knew it would be bad for you guys!"

"We might have to come into conflict with the guy eventually anyway, so at least this will be a heads up so we know what we're up against." Gian reminded her.

"That's not the point! I know you guys are strong but Mr. 0 is on an entire other level! You can't fight against Crocodile! He's one of the Shichibukai!"

* * *

You could hear a pin drop in the silence that followed.

"Did…did you just tell us?" Zoro facepalmed.

"Oh no…" Vivi realized her mistake.

"T-that's who he is?!" Nami whimpered.

"Oh my god… we're in deep shit now… WE ARE IN SUCH DEEP SHIT!" Gian moaned.

"Really? How is he so bad?" Luffy asked.

Before Gian can tell him more, the group suddenly spotted two new figures. One is a sunglasses wearing sea otter, while the other is a vulture, also wearing sunglasses. The otter of the group immediately began scribbling rapidly, and revealed the faces of the 4 people beside Vivi. The two then immediately flew off.

"That was pretty talented… how does it learn to do that?" Gian asked, but Vivi had a horrified expression on her face.

"Who were those two…" Nami hissed.

"The Unluckies…" Vivi whimpered.

"And why did they draw our pictures?" her voice was dripping with false sweetness.

"Um… they're reporting it back to the boss-"

"GODDAMMIT! WHY DID YOU JUST DO THAT?! YOU JUST PUT US ON THEIR HITLIST!" Nami screamed while shaking the princess back and forth, with Vivi apologizing profusely.

"Why does this have to happen? We just entered the Grand Line and we're already targeted by a Warlord… Why is this even happening?!" Nami wept on the side.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to… um, I have savings! I can give you 500 000 beri…!" Vivi tried to coax.

"But wow! A warlord knows who we are!" Luffy on the other hand, was not worried.

"About time we get a challenge" Zoro grinned.

"YOU TWO SHUT UP!" Nami screamed back.

"While I agree our opponents thus far have been weak and I would like some more challenging foes as well, this is something that is way too out of hand…" Gian sighed. Just their luck, having pissed off one of the 7.

"He can't be that bad!" Luffy brushed him off.

"Except he is. If this Crocodile is the same 'Sir' Crocodile of the Shichibukai, then he will be the most powerful opponent we'll face thus far. If you thought Arlong was powerful, wait until you get a load of him."

"You know him? Vivi asked cautiously.

"Only by reputation, but it's an infamous one. Crocodile was once a big time super rookie that once had a bounty of 81 million beri before he became a Warlord. In retrospect, that's almost double of mine and Luffy's combined."

"THAT MUCH?!" Nami almost fainted.

"Wow! He must be very strong!"

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!"

"Strong is an understatement. Did you know that he once fought Whitebeard? He lost of course, but to even be able to face one of the Yonko…" he didn't even need to finish, that along was impressive, terrifyingly so.

"We're so dead…" Nami whimpered.

"In anyway, since he now knows about us, we'll have to be extra prepared. This is the most dangerous person we could face up to this point. Do not take him lightly."

"Perhaps you will not have to!" another voice boomed. The group turned to see Igaram walking up… Dressed like a woman…

"What's with that outfit? It looks so stupid!" Luffy laughed.

"Perhaps so, but it is necessary. Soon Baroque Works will know of this incident." Igaram continued.

"And then they'll sent up to 1000 bounty hunters after us!" Vivi realized.

"Yes, and perhaps even the upper echelons of officer agents. So that is why I will wear this disguise and lead them on a wild goose chase so you can get to Alabasta in time!" Igaram then revealed multiple wooden dummys.

"But… what about you?" Vivi was concerned.

"Do not worry about me princess, it is my job to make sure you are safe. Now, I entrust her to you, make sure she return to Alabasta safely!"

"We can still turn him down! There's no way we're gonna live!" Nami tried to persuade the crew one last time.

"Yeah, you can count on us old man!" but it was for naught as Luffy clearly disregarded the dangers.

 _Later:_

The group gathered at the docks, where Vivi and Igaram will separate. After brining Usopp and Sanji up to date with what's going on, with Usopp almost having a panic attack after hearing who they're up against, the crew was ready to depart.

"How will you get back old man?" Luffy asked.

"Don't worry, I have an Eternal Pose." Igaram raised his hand to reveal a Log Pose "It's like the Log Pose you have, except it permanently locks on to one single location. This one points to Alabasta. I will go there after throwing them off." The man nodded as he pushed off, sailing in the opposite direction of the Merry.

"I entrust the princess to you all!" he called back as he sailed further and further.

As the Going Merry also depart, Vivi gained a sad expression on her face. Igaram had taken care of her since she was a little girl, and has been a part of the Alabasta Royal Family for years. The two were very close with one another.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be fine." The princess looked up to see Gian looking at the departing ship as well, respect in his eyes "And if something happens, I'm sure he's more than willing to put his life on the line for yours."

Vivi nodded, before scooting away. The scene of the monster from Reverse Mountain is still fresh in her mind, she doesn't know what to think of him. Gian noticed this and sighed, clearly this princess has some unspoken thoughts about him, but he'll have to think about it later.

Everything seemed to go fine until the ship that Igaram was supposedly on suddenly exploded, shocking everyone at the scene.

"IGARAM, NO!" Vivi screamed as she tried to jump over the rails, Sanji and Usopp having to hold her back in her anguish.

"They found us already?!" Nami shouted.

"We need to leave, like now!" Gian shouted.

Fortunately for the crew, the same dense fog that greeted them when they first came here enveloped them once more. At the very least, they'll be covered.

"From now, we are officially hunted." Zoro pointed out. Everybody aboard nodded as they got busy trying to sail further. Vivi was devastated, but she resolved herself to make it to Alabasta.

"We're almost out of here! Just keep looking out for attackers!" Nami reminded them.

"Good to see you're all professional, now be careful of the shallows and you'll be alright." This made everyone's heads almost snap off their necks as a silky smooth voice surprised them out of the blue.

The crew turned to see another woman sitting aboard one of the rails of the Going Merry. This lady had tanned skin and, although sitting down the crew could see that she is quite tall. Her outfit consisting of all purple, a pair of purple cowgirl boots, a purple miniskirt, a separate corset covering her chest and topped with a purple cowboy hat. A bemused expression adorned her face as she looked down at everyone, while her raven colored hair provide contrast to her pale blue eyes. If the situation wasn't so dire, Sanji would be swooning at the sight of such a beautiful woman.

"You guys have a nice ship." Her voice betrayed nothing.

"She got on here and nobody noticed…" Gian whispered.

"Is she an enemy?" Zoro asked, reaching for Wado Ichimonji.

"Miss All-Sunday!" Vivi let out a scream

"Oh my, good to see you Miss Wednesday, I just saw Mr. 8 not too long ago, did the two of you meet up?" Miss All-Sunday smirked.

Vivi's expression turned to anger as she realized what she meant.

"Hey! What are you doing on my ship?!" Luffy shouted.

"Vivi, who is she?" Nami asked.

"She's Mr. 0's partner!"

"Crocodile's?!" Gian looked alarmed.

"So they know then, no wonders The Unluckies alerted us of this."

"What do you want?!" Vivi snarled.

"That's for you to guess." Miss All-Sunday's smile never left her face.

"Ah, so she's a bad guy then!" Luffy deduced, and just like that Sanji and Usopp both pointed individual weapons at her.

"Now, there's no need for that. I would like it if you didn't point such dangerous things at me." Nobody saw what happened, but Sanji and Usopp were then thrown to the ground.

"A Devil Fruit power!" Zoro realized.

"Then that's where I come in." Gian stode up and lifter Atom Splitter, the blade resting just inches from the woman's neck.

"Oh, I don't believe we've met yet." And her mysterious smile still adorned her face.

"We'll get to the introductions later, I don't appreciate people messing with my friends like that." Gian snorted.

"Hey, shitty monster! Don't cut a pretty lady like her!" Now Sanji saw how beautiful she really was, any hot blooded male couldn't deny it. Gian noticed that too, and it was a good thing that his sense of duty got in the way.

"Don't' worry Sanji, I won't hurt her. Not unless she does something first."

"How brave of you, though I mentioned that I don't like weapons pointed at me, especially not something that has Seastone." And just like before, Gian was flipped to the ground as well.

"I would never expect that 'Beast Warrior' Gian was like this in person. And I assume the one with the straw hat is Monkey D. Luffy?" Miss All-Sunday smirked.

"Hey, give me back my hat!" Luffy shouted as, indeed, the straw hat was suddenly flicked into the hand of the woman by an unseen force.

"What a series of unfortunate events, you having to pick up a princess and take her to her kingdom. It is even more unfortunate when you realize where you're heading."

Miss All-Sunday pointed to the Log Pose "That Log Pose leads to an Island called Little Garden, it is full of danger and if you go there you may not make it to Alabasta."

Another object then rolled on the deck towards the crew "That right there is an Eternal Pose that points to Nanimonai Island, just a few miles from Alabasta. If I were you I would go there, it would make you go around some unnecessary routes."

The idea seems like a good one to Vivi, being able to avoid danger is a pretty logical thought. However, Luffy wasn't having any of it, and he immediately smashed the Eternal Pose against the deck of the ship.

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!" Nami smacked him.

"I don't care what you have to say, you don't decide where to go!" Luffy shouted at the older woman.

Miss All-Sunday had to stifle a giggle at that. These people are so amusing. "That's a very interesting way to say it."

"It's how things are done here, milady." Gian made a tipping motion with his hand "The dim-witted straw hat boy calls the shots and we heed to his command."

"You sure are a lively bunch, I would never expect a big bad monster like yourself to be following somebody, but then again history has never been wrong before."

"…Elaborate. Now." There was no way she could've known that! Nobody aside from the crew knows about it! Heck, even their passenger doesn't! (Except she figured it out already). Gian's heart was pumping; how much does this woman know?! And what was that part about history? Has similar Kaiju-zoans appeared before?

"I think you know what I mean 'Beast Warrior', it isn't has well-hidden as you'd think it is. The age of Kaiju is returning, and soon you will be at the center of it." This statement gave Gian a hint of forewarning, but he couldn't figure out why.

"I have to say, you've all certainly entertained me today. Perhaps we'll meet again." With that Miss All-Sunday suddenly leapt off the Merry, and upon further inspection it is shown she landed on the back of a massive sea turtle.

"Wait! What did you mean by what you said earlier?" Gian shouted back. But Miss All-Sunday only smiled mysteriously as the two locked gazes for a few moments more. Then she drifted too far and disappeared from sight.

"That woman is so confusing…" Vivi muttered "I'm sorry we had to go through that."

"It's fine" Nami assured her "Now we gotta get you back home."

"Yay! Miss Wednesday is a part of our crew now!" Sanji cheered.

"She has a name you know?" Zoro reminded him.

"I feel like something bad is gonna happen…" Usopp whimpered.

"Ok! Set sail!" Luffy ordered, and just like that everything was back to normal… except for one person.

"Gian, you alright?" Usopp noticed the kaiju-zoan user is just staring blankly at the sea.

"Oh… yeah… I got some thinking to do, don't mind me." Gian mumbled as he made his way to the back of the ship, leaving everyone else slightly confused, but shrugged it off as something he could probably handle.

Gian's mind however, is full of thoughts right now.

" _Age or Kaiju… what is that supposed to mean. She said it like I'm supposed to play a part in that or something! Triton-senpai never mentioned any of this, so why is it only now that I'm hearing about this? And why do I get the feeling that I'll be fighting again really soon? And what is with that Devil Fruit of hers? I didn't see it, but I felt like I was grabbed by something…"_

" _Miss All-Sunday… just who are you?"_

Little did the Straw Hats know, the mysterious woman they just met will be tied with them more than they initially believed.

 **A/N: Ok, Whiskey Peak is complete! I promised I'll get it done this chapter and it did. So Gian finally meets Robin in this chapter, and as you can see their first encounter is rather peculiar. It'll take some time for their relationship to develop, and to be honest I won't focus on it a whole lot other than some scenes. One Piece isn't about romance after all. But yeah, you can expect them to interact more in the future, because as you can see, there's a secret about Kaiju-zoans that Robin knows, but Gian doesn't, at least not yet.**

 **So I'd say that- um… are you alright?**

 **G: She-She's beautiful! Thank you author for letting such a goddess grace my presence! This feels like a picnic!**

 **What the heck? Why are you turning into Sanji all of a sudden?!**

 **G: Hey don't compare me with the ero-cook! My love is genuine!**

 **WE HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN THERE YET! SLOW DOWN!**

 **G: then hurry it up, I wanna see her again.**

 **Great… I made a Casanova… lord help us all.**

 **Anyways, response to reviews, and DAMN I got a ton of them last chapter! So much that it's become the most reviewed of all of them! Thank you all, truly. I never would've thought that many people enjoyed this.**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **We're glad to deliver!**

 **G: yes we are!**

 **To Chance Green G King:**

 **I'll tell you what. You're right on one of those. Go and guess which one it is. And as for Mr. 0.5, he's gonna be a unique case in Baroque Works, you'll find out soon.**

 **G: And we saw the message! Author-san really likes your Fairy Tail fic, even though he doesn't read Fairy Tail that often.**

 **To tamagat:**

 **Don't think that's possible. Unless Oda thinks of something that lets devil fruit users swim, I'm abiding by the rules.**

 **And as for awakening, I do have a plan for it. Hint, it's in one of Godzilla's video games.**

 **G: It's still a mysteryyyyyy….**

 **To Guest…1:**

 **There's 3 of you guys, so I think you're all different people. Well Gian, what do you have to say about that?**

 **G: BITCH YOU GUESSED IT! HOOOAH! YOUSE RIGHT!**

 **That meme deserves to die…**

 **To Guest 2:**

 **It will be, and it's actually an arc we know well.**

 **G: I still want to know myself.**

 **To Guest 3:**

 **MUTO will be featured, but perhaps not as Kaiju-zoans. And those two that were teased are much better known.**

 **As for Monster X, he will not be Gideon; he's an entire different character altogether. However, Gideon and the counter-part for Monster X share a history together, one that is quite unfortunate.**

 **To KingOfAwesome:**

 **Don't worry we continuing! In fact here is this!**

 **To Johnny Spectre:**

 **Eh-hehehhe… heh…**

 **To anquan:**

 **G: good you're alive. And do I like cute animals? Is the Pope Catholic?**

 **Where did you go for the last 3 reviews?**

 ***hides picture of Robin* …Nowhere…**

 **To Guest… one of the above apparently:**

 **Yes, Orga will be in the series in the future.**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! And as for the whole Rumble Ball idea, it's not gonna be that, but it's something Godzilla fans are familiar with. More details to follow.**

 **To SunWuKong66:**

 **I plan to do something with the Rumble Balls, and if you've watched Godzilla movies before, it's gonna be something like that.**

 **And don't worry, I plan to have Gian do most of that. Full Transformations are a bit bigger than Oars after all!**

 **And that's all! We'll- DID YOU LEAVE AGAIN?!**

 **G: Shut up and let me look at my future love interest in peace!**

 **What have I created…**

 **We'll see you next time…**

 **Just leave a review this time; this dumbass is too distracted to do anything…**

 **G: Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?**

 **SHAKESPEARE?!**


	30. Lost World: Little Garden

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **New arc! Which means new opening! This one will last until the end of Drum Island.**

 **Song: Two Souls-Towards the Truth by fripSide (Owari no Seraph: Nagoya Kissen-hen Opening, episode 6-12)**

 _(During the instrumental, Gian is shown stretching in the sun as the shot pans up to reveal the Going Merry sailing the sea, as the title slowly dissolves in.)_

 _ **Zutto yumemiteita, kowaresou na kibou. Toki o koe kousa shita, sorezore no yasashisa**_

 _(The Strawhats are all around the ship doing various activities: Luffy and Usopp are chasing Carue around the ship, Nami is looking at where they're going to go next, while Zoro is taking a nap against the mast. Sanji is bringing the girls on the ship some snacks, while Gian is writing something in his journal. He then looks up and his eyes meet Vivi's, who is sitting beside Nami.)_

 _ **Futo miageru sora ni kimi no egao egaku. Ano hi kara, bokutachi wa, chigao sekai o mitai.**_

 _(A scene of Luffy and Gian standing back to back, with another image of Shanks and Triton further behind them respectively. The scene then changes to the StrawHats suddenly seeing a group of bounty hunters challenging them, and they get prepared for a fight.)_

 _ **Omoi ga afureru, shinjiau koto wa, tayasui koto dato, sono kikeku ga shitteru.**_

( _Scene shows Gian holding Atom Splitter, a blue aura surrounding him, while what appears to be flower petals floating and arms around him. The scene then cuts to Vivi having a dark thought of a silhouetted man the only thing clearly visible is his golden hook. The man is replaced by a small cut of Miss All-Sunday, who is then consumed by an orange flame, as another hunched over figure emerged from the fire bearing a fanged grin.)_

 _ **Hikari no yami ni kakuresareta kono michi o susume dake, futatsu no omoi ga kirameku "kimi o mamoritai"**_

 _(The seen switches to the Luffy, Gian, Nami, Usopp and Vivi watching two giants duel against each other in awe. The scene then cuts to Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine, before panning up to a little girl eating rice crackers while painting then to another man with glasses and his hair in the shape of a 3 as some kind of white substance rises up.)_

 _ **Kokoro ni kanjiru kizuna o dakishimite**_

 _ **tachigaru toki wa ima kanashimi kirisaite**_

 _ **Two souls go… toward the truth!**_

 _ **Sono egao sagashite, kono omoi ga bokura o tsuyoku shinjitsu e to michibiku.**_

 _(The scene finally shows one of the giants from earlier suffering from an explosion, and the crew looks on in shock. The scene then shoots to Vivi with a fearful expression on her face as she is caught by Miss Valentine, her scream for help sounding just as Luffy, Usopp, Zoro and Nami burst onto the scene. The scene then shows Gian dodging blows from a white construct piloted by the man with the 3 on his head. The opening ends with Luffy and Gian both rearing back a fist to deliver one more attack.)_

 **And now let's begin.**

* * *

It had been a few hours since the crew departed Whiskey Peak, and they have no idea what this so-called Little Garden is like. Most of them aren't worried though, and are just doing their own thing around the ship.

Vivi has now changed into more casual clothing. It has only been a few hours and she still hasn't quite gotten used to the crew yet, but so far they seem nice.

Luffy is the energetic captain of the crew, and it seemed like he accepted her presence without a second thought. The same goes for the cook, Sanji, who had been trying his best to make her stay comfortable in the last few hours, almost to excess. Meanwhile there's also Mr. Bushido, Zoro, and while he's pretty cold with her, Vivi can tell that's just how he is and that he's fine with her being on the ship. Along with them there was Nami, the navigator and Usopp, their sniper. Both had been rather friendly towards her.

Then there was Gian, or as she knows as the Kaiju-Zoan possessor.

She doesn't know how to react to him. Vivi's own encounter with a Kaiju-Zoan user was… one that she cannot erase from her mind; how anyone can show such cruelty to any person is unbelievable! What she witnessed that day absolutely appalled and terrified her. From her viewpoint, the Kaiju-Zoan User was more beast than human.

" _Though… that shouldn't make me view Gian-san in a low light… he did help with saving me after all…"_ Vivi felt slightly guilty at her thoughts. She really shouldn't be viewing him in the same light. Gian so far had been quite welcoming to her, and had tried to strike up some conversation to pass time. However, each time she wanted to say something back, her fear would take over and she would make up an excuse to hold it off.

She looked again to see said Kaiju-Zoan user sitting against the mast, playing a game of checkers with Carue and brushing away Luffy's attempts to distract the two of them. Gian managed to win the match within 6 moves, causing the duck to let loose a squawk of disbelief. Vivi giggled slightly; at least Carue seemed to have no problems getting along with him, maybe she could learn a few things from her animal companion.

One thing that has noted by her is how easygoing this crew is. The Grand Line is a place where many pirates lose their lives, yet these people are going around enjoying themselves like they normally do. Vivi supposed that it's a good atmosphere to be in, but she couldn't help but wish they at least be a bit more serious, they are under the eyes of Baroque Works after all.

"You never told me you duck knows how to play chess." Vivi gave a start as she realized Gian sat down beside her. She saw that Carue was still weeping over his loss, with Luffy and Usopp trying to play with him.

"Oh… yeah… we used to play a bit…" Vivi mumbled. Her heart is pounding with fear in her chest as he realized the person she was just wondering about is next to her.

Gian sighed "Look, you can drop the whole 'terrified of monsters' face. We're in charge of getting you to your home, so no I won't transform in the middle of the sea and kill us all."

Vivi blushed in embarrassment "I-I…"

"Yeah, I figured it out a while back. It's not the first time I've seen that expression on someone's face after all. I don't like giving that impression to people, but I suppose it can't be helped once they know."

"It's not that… I just have a difficult time around… people with the same abilities as you." Vivi explained.

"So there _is_ another Kaiju-Zoan user within Baroque Works... At least Miss All-Sunday wasn't lying about that…" Gian realized. The woman's words are still in his head; he's spent the last few hours trying to deduce what she meant by the "Age of Kaiju".

"From the looks of it, this Kaiju-Zoan user is not someone you've had a particularly good experience with."

"…You could say that…" Vivi shuddered as the images from that day once again assaulted her mind.

"Trust me, I've experienced that before. My own adopted family was the first normal people that ever witnessed a transformation by be. I still can't erase the image of my little brother's horrified face when they saw me like that. It took them a week to work up the courage to talk to me again." Gian sighed as he thought back "I was fortunate that they continued to accept me even though they were aware of that fact."

"If you're still uncomfortable with my presence by the end of this trip, just remember that we'll probably not meet each other again. But don't worry, I'm not someone who is defined by my Kaiju-Zoan so you have nothing to worry about there." Gian concluded before walking off to go talk to Zoro.

Vivi smiled lightly; she's confident that this man means everything he says.

* * *

" _Take note, primates… in this world… only the strong gets to live; everything weaker is merely prey…"_

* * *

She shook her head at the resurgence of those words. Gian-san is not like that, he can't be. Vivi shut her eyes in an attempt to block out the same scene from replaying in her mind.

Her eyes then snapped open when she heard the crew scream.

"HOLY CRAP, WHY IS A DOLPHIN THAT BIG?!"

* * *

Vivi's eyes widened to saucers as, indeed, a dolphin leapt out of the water. There is only one difference; this dolphin would be the small fact that it's the size of your average whale. The large sea mammal breached itself out of the water again and landed with a splash, the huge waves it stirred up carrying the Merry.

"The seas contain creatures such as this…" Vivi mumbled in awe.

"Whatever the case, that thing just gave us a ride!" Luffy cheered, referring to the large waves it left in its wake.

"Yes, this can help us reach our next destination." Nami agreed.

"It's a shame it's so fast… I never finished drawing it…" Gian sighed.

"Who knows maybe it'll come back." Nami assured him.

Vivi smiled; this crew might not be as bad as she thought.

 _A bit later:_

It had been only about 20 minutes before Usopp called out that he spotted land in the distance. Indeed, the crew soon saw the island, and what an island it was. The vegetation was dense, so dense that Gian noted that there were more trees on the island than Solgell. The island gave off a primordial feeling, as if it belonged in a completely different time period. The entire crew can feel that this island is nothing like the last one they've been to.

"So… This is Little Garden?" Nami wondered "The Log Pose is pointing straight at it…"

"Was anyone else like, actually expecting it to be a garden? Just me?" Gian brought up a good point.

"I don't see how this place is supposed to be dangerous." Zoro scoffed.

"Are you kidding?! The whole place screams of danger!" Usopp protested.

"Let's hurry! We have to explore!" Luffy, naturally, was excited.

"But Miss All-Sunday said that-" Nami was about to remind him, but Luffy's enthusiasm was too much.

"What did I expect… well we might as well go ashore, I need to wait for the Log Pose to reset anyway."

But as they sailed up river, it soon became clear that this island is indeed unlike anything they've ever seen before. No sooner did the crew sail for a bit more did they notice that a massive tiger was prowling the shoreline.

"Ok that's it! Please don't tell me we have to go in there!" Usopp yelped.

"The wildlife here certainly is stranger than the ones we've seen before…" Gian noted, constantly scribbling down drawings in his notebook. He for one is glad they came here, so much things to draw for Rokuro-kun!

Another thing the crew noted was how hot and humid the air is around them, considering they were in a rainforest this wasn't surprising. What is surprising is that the plants that were found here are like nothing they've seen before. Or at least, not in this time period.

"Wait a minute… I think I've seen these plants somewhere before!" Gian's eyes widened.

"You're kidding…" Zoro mumbled.

"It was in this book, about prehistoric biology… Goro-san had it in his lab…" He continued "It talks of plants from millions of years ago, plant life that look nothing like the ones found today!" Gian gestured around "And looking at these plants, they look exactly like the ones in that book!"

"No way! Are you suggesting we've travelled back in time?!" Usopp yelped.

"That's a possibility, though I believe the more likely scenario is that this is an island whose flora and fauna remained primitive against the test of time. From the looks of it, very little people have been to this place, thus preserving the area to an almost prehistoric scene." Gian suggested.

"Come on! There's a reason those things belong in the past! It's not like-" Whatever Sanji was about to say was interrupted by a loud squawk as the crew scrambled to duck under a flying beast. It was shaped like a bird, except that it had no feathers. Sanji's eyes widened as he realized Gian's point was further proven.

"That… was a pterodactyl… yup, we're definitely on an island stuck in the passage of time. Those things are supposed to be extinct!"

"Wow! There are flying lizards on this island! Do you think there will be other funny animals too?" Luffy asked, if his interest wasn't piqued in the beginning, it certainly was now.

"Quite possible, from the looks of it, this is the ideal climate for dinosaurs to survive on. It's possible we might see one soon." Gian noted.

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go explore!" Luffy cheered.

"Gian why did you encourage him?!" Nami snapped and cuffed the Kaiju-Zoan on the head.

"What? I was simply stating a fact!" Gian grumbled and rubbed his head painfully "Besides, we're stopping here anyway to wait for the Log to reset anyway, so why not do some sightseeing?"

"Then you guys go! I'm staying here!" Nami stated and pointed to the ship.

"I'm with her!" Usopp said quickly.

"Yosh! Then Vivi can come with me!" Luffy invited "Sanji! Lunch box please!"

"Oh… o-ok... sure!" Vivi smiled lightly.

"You better keep her safe!" Sanji warned while making special bento for the two while putting in extra care into Vivi's lunch in the process. With that, Luffy dashed off eagerly while the princess followed riding Carue.

"And then there were 5…" Gian noted.

"Not for long, before we came here we forgot to stock up on food, so one of us has to go hunting." Sanji pointed out.

"Well I'm going for a walk, so I can get that done." Zoro said "Probably for the best since I'll catch some of you never will."

It was a simple statement, but one that was clearly directed at the cook of the crew. Sanji glared at the swordsman once he heard that, the challenging tone clearly getting to him.

"You're saying I can't bring food back?!"

"However you interpret it, though we all know it's true." Zoro retorted.

"That's it! I'll show you!" Sanji snarled as the two of the glared daggers at each other "We're having a contest, and whoever brings back the most food wins, got it?"

"Fine by me!" Zoro huffed. And just like that, the rivalry of a life time was born as these two gentlemen set off into the rainforest in a test to see who can bring back more meat.

"Everyone just keeps leaving… Guess I'll go take a walk too." Gian was about to leave as well until he realized Nami and Usopp were clutching to him fearfully.

"No! Stay please!" Nami whimpered.

"If you leave who's going to protect us?!" Usopp yelped.

"I'm not leaving for too long! Besides, what's the worst that could happen?" Ignoring the protests of the two Gian proceeded his trek into the jungle as well.

 _Later:_

"My lord… why is this place so hot?!" Gian groaned as he took off his t-shirt, leaving his upper body bare. It's been a couple of minutes since he wandered into the rainforest to pass time, and came to the conclusion that this heat is going to kill him eventually. He almost regretted leaving the Going Merry to go on this walk…

But the real reason he went in the first place is that he's been having a weird feeling about the place. Ever since they sailed closed to the prehistoric island Gian had been getting the sense that something within the island was beckoning him, and that feeling was growing stronger and stronger the longer he stayed there.

" _When I'm here… it seems like nature itself is coursing through my veins. I can feel the beating of the earth itself... It just feels so… natural."_

He has no idea what's going on, but it was comfortable. Unfortunately his musing was broken out of when her heard rustling from a brush near him. Gian stared intently at the rustling plant, until the foliage broke to reveal something that he never expected to see.

"Ok… this is just rubbing it in at this point…" Gian mumbled at the large beast that presented itself. It had a large stocky body and blue scales. Its head is large, a bony frill protecting its neck while 3 horns adorned its face. It is a Triceratops, a creature that is no longer supposed to be living in this time, but now one is standing in front of him and munching on plants.

"This place really is a blast to the past…" Gian watched in awe as the large reptile continued to forage, until another roar alerted the two and the Triceratops fled from the scene. For good reason too, for another beast emerged from the undergrowth, except this time it's not an herbivore.

"T-rex… there is a T-rex standing in front of me."

Indeed, the red scaled carnivorous dinosaur with a maw full of serrated teeth was currently eyeing Gian. The Kaiju-zoan user got into a pose, prepared to fight should the dinosaur decide he'd be prey. However he did not except the Tyrannosaurus to simply let out a low growl, and instead of trying to eat him it was simply watching him warily!

Gian's gaze was locked with the Tyrannosaurus that he didn't notice that more dinosaurs have emerged from the forest, all eyeing him. There sure is a large variety, from Apatosaurus, more Triceratops to small Velociraptors. Normally these creatures would all be hunting each other, but now their attention is focused completely on Gian. It was a spectacular scene if he ever saw one.

"Um… can I help you lot?" Gian quipped. Of course, being dinosaurs they couldn't speak, so instead they only stared at him further, occasionally emitting animalistic sounds.

Deciding that this is getting slightly creepy, Gian decided to just keep walking, only to find that more dinosaurs emerged from the forest as he walked. He finally got annoyed enough and turned around again.

"Ok, seriously do I have something on my face? Because even if I do that still doesn't give you a good enough reason to follow me around!" When the group of reptiles once again did not budge, he raised his fist to shoo them off.

Only for the reptiles to part away into two sides, revealing a hidden path into the jungle that he never noticed before.

"So it's gonna be like that, huh?" This is getting weird, and despite everything in his mind saying that it is crazy for him to go down that path, Gian decided against his judgement to go anyway. The longer he looked down the trail the more he felt that strange beckoning feeling grow even stronger.

The path led him deeper into the jungle, by now the trees were beginning to obscure the vision of the sky; before he could still see the two mountains on either side of the island but not even that was getting blocked.

After another few minutes, the forest broke into a small clearing. There wasn't any particular in the clearing, except for a large monolith sitting in the middle. Upon closer inspection Gian saw that the object is a perfect cube-shaped stone block, covered in moss and vines by some degree. The same beckoning was now reaching higher frequencies, as if they were emitting from the block itself.

There multiple strange carvings on the stone block, but Gian is unable to comprehend any of it. They looked like letters you'd find in a book, but nothing like any he's seen before. But the strangest thing is, by now Gian could swear he's hearing what appears to be voices emitting from the block. Unconsciously Gian reached out a hand to touch it.

* * *

That was when a blinding blue light suddenly flashed before his eyes, forcing them shut. When he opened them again, to his shock, he found himself in form of his Partial Transformation.

" **W-What is this?"**

A loud noise then sounded to his right, and he noticed something different with the jungle. The trees seemed even taller than they were before, and the two mountains were completely absent. Then the loud sound erupted again, and Gian noted that it was the sound of a roar.

The trees soon broke, and Gian found himself faced with a monstrosity that he can't believe. It was the monster of his Full Transformation! Wide-eyed he continued to watch as the massive beast is joined by another creature, this time a quadruped reptilian monster with a spikey back that led out a honking roar.

More monsters then joined the scene, with one shaped like a giant pterodactyl, one being a reddish brown creature with a single horn on its head, and another shaped like cross between a lizard and a flying squirrel.

Gian then noticed humans, dressed in nothing but primitive fabrics, running in terror as one of the monsters, the horned one, began chasing after them and proceeding to devour the ones it caught. Gian saw a family of 3 running for their lives as the horned monster gained on them, and rushed in a desperate attempt to help only to find that his hand phased through the people as the monster closed in on the 3, its jaws wide open.

Then another flash of light, replacing the island. This time, it appears that he is aboard what appears to be a ship, except it is not the Going Merry. It is some form of a battle ship, and not the only one around either. The fleet of ships opened fire on a large mass, which Gian noted was the monster with the spiny shell. The cannonballs hardly did any damage as the massive creature howled and slammed its tail into the water, destroying a row of ships.

Another flash of light, this time transporting Gian to what appears to be a different forest. Movement to his right alerted him as what appears to be a man with unkempt hair and torn clothing running from something, as evident by the sound of people on his tail. The man stopped for a few moments, looking around with an almost sad expression before taking something out of his coat. Gian saw that it is a large fruit with a dizzying pattern displayed on its skin. The man hesitated slightly, before realizing that his pursuers were getting closer and took a bite out of the fruit. Gian noted in shock as the man's eyes turned into an amber color and a massive wave of energy erupted from him just as his pursuers broke through the brush, revealing to a shocked Gian to be a squad of marine soldiers.

But the scene was then interrupted by another scene, this one the most grim of them all. It was a battlefield, the landscape scorched and blacked. Gian could see the ruins of multiple buildings on the horizon, and the bodies of multiple people were scattered around him. But he couldn't focus on any of that because of one thing; that one thing being that his focus is on two massive shapes standing face to face with each other. One, he saw was monster of his Full Transformation, blue energy crackling around its body. The other one however was even more impressive, towering over it and donned in glorious golden scales. It is the shape of a 3 headed dragon like creature, with two massive wings and a pair of writhing tails behind it. Both monsters roared at each other as countless more people on either side battled beneath them. The two beasts then unleashed a barrage of energy attacks at each other, as large amounts of people were caught in the crossfire.

" _ **Stop… STOP..! I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANYMORE!"**_ Gian pleaded silently, but it wasn't over just yet.

For 4 things suddenly happened: from the sky a streaking meteor collided with the earth. Sending a blinding wave of light and reducing more buildings to rubble. When the dust cleared, a dark humanoid shape could be seen, except instead of a human it was another monster adorned with skeletal armor. Gian hardly had any time to react before the ground itself began rumbling, which ended with the earth itself cracking open in a pillar of fire. This time revealing another monster, one covered from head to toe in a red, jagged carapace. It let out a screech as its horned head crackled with violet energy as it unfurled its bat-like wings. This was succeeded by multiple crystalline objects bursting out of the ground, as a ball of light slowly descending from the sky. Gian could vaguely make out another shape within the orb; one that was similar to his Full Transformation, yet the aura of evil clearly surrounds him. Then finally, what appears to be a living ball of flesh appeared in the sky, it strummed with an evil energy, even greater than the one before. The revolting orb of flesh began glowing brighter and brighter, until an all-consuming white light engulfed the land around it to reveal-"

"KABOOOOOMMMM!"

Gian was jolted back to reality by a loud explosion, one that appeared to be nearby. He looked up to realize that explosion was due to the nearby eruption of a volcano. He then saw that his skin is the same smooth human skin he normally has and immediately backed away from the stone block. That object had just shown him something he didn't think was possible, that or he was just hallucinating the whole ordeal. Either way, Gian wanted no more to do with it.

* * *

" _What even was all that?! It felt like a vision of sorts! Is that what Miss All-Sunday meant by what she said? Then what do I have to do with any of that?! That's it, this island is seriously freaking me out right now! I better get back to the Merry and tell everyone to bolt it as soon as we're finished here-"_

Gian was brought out of his thoughts as a group of dinosaurs ran past him, and as he raised his head he saw why: Two massive giants were striding towards one another, weapons raised. Both were dressed in Viking attire, but there were some differences; one wore a red helmet with horns while the other had a bronze colored one. The giant with the bronze helmet also had a much longer beard, compared to the other whose was shorter and yellow. The two brandished a longsword and a single-bladed ax respectively, and both had shields. The two giants smashed into each other with a loud crash.

"This island… just throws more and more at you…" Gian stared in amazement. The confusion from his previous ordeal temporarily forgotten, he whipped out the notebook and hastily sketched the image of the two gargantuan humanoids doing battle.

The longer he watched, the more details he noticed: These two giants seemed to be in perfect sync with one another. When one raised his weapon to attack, the other would immediately figure out a way to dodge or parry as if they could read the other's movements. Not only that, but even at this distance Gian could sense a form of comradeship between the two, as if they were old friends and this is just a friendly scuffle.

The blows of the battle sounded like thunder as the two giants continued to fight, with no clear victor in sight. The battle lasted until the two charged each other simultaneously and, with one more blow, sent both their weapons flying as they knocked the wind out of each oher with their shields instead. The two giants fell back on their backs with a loud thud. It seemed like it was over, a fact made more evident by the thunderous, jovial laughs that the two giants made.

"GEGYAGYAGYAGYAGYAGYAG!"

"GABABABABABABABABABABA!"

The two giants then got up, dusted themselves off, and went separate ways towards one of the two mountains. Gian now saw that those were not mountains at all; they were the skulls of two massive Sea Kings.

" _That was amazing! I have to investigate further."_

Gian began following the long bearded giant as he walked back towards his side of the island. With the giant having a much larger stride, it was hard to even keep up. Eventually he was able to see the feet of the giant as he stopped and squatted down. Gian was about to walk forward when he heard two familiar voices.

One, much more nervous, belong to their passenger Princess Vivi. The other was none other than Luffy's.

* * *

"So that's where they went, wonder what's going on here?" Gian said to himself. He decided to simply ask them himself.

Luffy soon noticed him "Ah! Gian's here! You have to meet this Giant-ossan!" Vivi noticed him as well and gave a small smile, except she clearly has something on her mind.

"What's this? Another small human?" the giant looked down.

"Yeah! He's my first mate!"

"Ah, so he's another one of your nakama! Then come sit by the fire and have some dinosaur meat!" the giant beckoned.

" _What a friendly guy."_ Gian smiled warmly. He did just that and took a bite out of a chunk of dinosaur " _Tastes like chicken…"_

"Nothing better than having a nice drink after a good battle!" the giant chortled.

"You said you met some of our other nakama as well?" Gian asked.

"Indeed, the orange haired girl and the long nosed lad. They are with Brogy at his camp. It's them who gave the sake to him and he shared it with me!"

"Shishishi! Guess Usopp and Nami came off the ship after all!" Luffy chortled.

"The other giant you were fighting? You guys seem pretty happy there." Gian noted.

"It was a good battle! But one that once again ended in a draw. It seems like neither of us has gained Elbaf's favor right now, but we will one day!"

"I'm afraid I don't follow."

"Dorry-san and Brogy-san had an argument about 100 years ago, and in the tradition of their island they are having a fight to the death; the winner is the one who is right." Vivi explained.

"Ah, now I get it." Gian nodded as he remembered a fact that a giant's average lifespan is 3 times that of a human's.

"Yeah, isn't it awesome? They both have their honor on the line and they're battling it out!" Luffy is still amazed.

"Well, they still got a good hundred years or so to find out, so I guess I'll let my grandchildren tell me who won!" Gian smiled.

"Geyagyagyagyag! You guys are funny!" Dorry laughed at that joke.

"Dorry-san, I have to ask… does the Log Pose really take 1 whole year to reset?" Vivi asked anxiously. This made Gian spit out the meat he was currently stuffing in his face.

"WAIT-WHAT?! ONE YEAR?! WE'RE GONNA BE HERE FOR ONE YEAR?!"

"According to these guys, yeah." Luffy confirmed "It's too long."

"Not only that, this place will kill us! And worst of all it has no Wi-Fi!" Gian shouted dramatically.

"What's Wi-Fi?" Luffy raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing… it just popped into my head." Gian calmed down "But there has to be a way off… we have to get to the next island!"

"Well, there is one Eternal Pose on the island, but that is pointed at Elbaf. One of us will get it when they win." Dorry told them "Otherwise you'd have to wait. And most humans who landed here usually die before their Logs reset."

"That's no good, we don't want to go there yet…" Luffy frowned.

"This is terrible! I have to get back to Alabasta as soon as I can!" Vivi cried.

"Without the Log Pose… I don't see how that will be possible…" Gian groaned. He loved dinosaurs as much as his little brother, but after what he encountered today that kind of dropped.

That made him remember something "Hey Dorry-san, do you know anything about the stone block near the middle of the island?"

"Oh, that thing? It's been here since we've arrived. It's too small to read but there's some kind of writing on it. Even we don't know where it came from, but the dinosaurs seemed to be at peace in that area; they don't even attack each other there." Dorry replied.

"Has… anything happened to either of you when you touched it?"

"Hmm… can't say anything has. The two of us generally leave it alone, though we have tried to paint on it once! Geyagyagyagyag!" Dorry laughed before noticing Gian's confused expression. "Has something happened to you then?"

"Huh? Oh, no! Just wondering!" Gian lied. On the side, Luffy and Vivi noticed this too. They didn't know what happened, but it's cleared the Kaiju-zoan user just had a harrowing experience. Vivi reminded herself to ask him later.

"In that case, then I'm sorry that I can't offer any more answers. I know just as much as you do." Dorry shrugged.

"It's fine, it's nothing really."

"I'm sure it is. Oh, I almost forgot, there's this sake! I haven't had a good drink in so long!" Dorry cheered as he raised a barrel of said alcohol and sloshed it down quickly. But soon, he noticed that it would be a big mistake.

For the minute he drank down all the barrels, an explosion was triggered within his stomach. Dorry let out a pained yell as he toppled over, leaving Luffy, Vivi and Gian to look on in shock as smoke billowed out of his mouth…

 **A/N: So yeah… I'm kind of behind schedule with this chapter. The truth is this is I'm losing interest in this story, and I don't know if I want to continue or not…**

 **G: …**

…

 **G: …**

…

 **G: You're jokes are terrible. Go die.**

 **Shut up, I'm exhausted!**

 **Yeah, that was a joke. But I really do have a reason, and that reason is that the past few weeks have been rather busy, from me finishing up summer classes, to getting my drivers license, just a ton of stuff on my plate.**

 **G: And?**

 **What?**

 **G: You know…**

 **Sigh… and playing Pokemon Go…**

 **G: I knew it.**

 **Whatever, But the good news is that we've reach the big 30! That's right, 30 chapters! And almost 200 reviews! I'm gonna hopefully get this next chapter up quicker, because I want to hopefully get to Drum Island by the end of the month, and I want this arc to be just 2 chapters long again. In the meantime thank you for your support!**

 **So you might notice that this chapter just went that route. And before anyone asks, yes that is a Poneglyph, Gian can't read it but this particular one had the effect because he's a Kaiju-Zoan user; it will only happen once and only with that one for now. It might be a bit cliché, but I wanted to put some more info on Kaiju in this chapter. That's why it turned out the way it is. And yes, all those scenes from the vision will have some sort of explanation later on, and they will affect Gian the most.**

 **So with that, expect the next chapter soon!**

 **On with the responses! And also, I noticed that I skipped a couple of responses last chapter. Very sorry about that, I'll include them here.**

 **-To tamagat:**

 **You can expect something like that, not now, but in the future.**

 **Also, Gian's speed problem will be a thing for now, but as he hasn't completely developed his fighting style with his fruit yet, it will see some improvements as his mastery increases.**

 **G: One dayyyyyy!**

 **-To Xolsis:**

 **I plan to go on for however long I can, as there are so many things to work with and that I have planned. Trust me, I want to do that as much as you.**

 **G: Also glad you like it, by that I meant me!**

 **Narcissus…**

 **-To biowolf864:**

 **We're glad you think that.**

 **G: so glad.**

 **-To Guest 1:**

 **As of right now, no. the opponent at Fishman Island will be a monster that appears more within Godzilla movies, and one of his own.**

 **-To SEaGGull:**

 **G: You see? We all love her!**

 **Then you have competition.**

 **G: they can try.**

 **-To Chance Green G King:**

 **As you can see in this chapter, Little Garden is somewhat important to Kaiju altogether. As for Biollante, I have much bigger plans for her.**

 **-To anquan:**

 **That is going to be a mystery for now.**

 **G: Very mysterious!**

 **-To Matt:**

 **Yes, there will be a Kaiju-Zoan user at CP9. I'll let you do the guessing. Also, I guess I'm not as good with suspense as I thought.**

 **-To Guest 2:**

 **No need to apologize that was needed.**

 **G: IT'S NO USE! MY LOVE FOR HER IS ETERNAL! Besides I heal fast any way.**

 **DON'T MAKE ME GET THE TASER!**

 **-To JoeH120:**

 **There will be both Kaiju-Zoan and regular canon character to fight. Usually in major arcs there's gonna be a new Kaiju/Kaiju-Zoan OC, and in smaller arcs like this there's gonna be a canon opponent, as you will see next chapter.**

 **G: Oh you bet it is! As well as a picture of her looking like the cool beauty she is, along with another one of her in a different outfit. As well-**

 **YOU HAVE A COLLAGE?! WHERE DID YOU EVEN GET ALL THIS?!**

 **G: I went google searching. Found all this… among others.**

… **I don't know whether to feel angry or sorry for you…**

 **-To Kakusei:**

 **Glad you enjoyed it as much as I did!**

 **G: and me!**

 **-To Vergil Leonidas:**

 **Yeah, probably that Laboon scene could've been better. But you can expect the Kaiju's Rage to reappear in snippets throughout the pre-timeskip and post-timeskip! And-**

 **G: SHE'S AMAZING IT'S LIKE I'VE LIVED MY ENTIRE LIFE JUST FOR THIS MOMENT**

 **GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!**

 **-To pokemonking0924:**

 **The Age of Kaiju will be referenced multiple times throughout the story that I can promise you.**

 **And as for his abilities, yes I'm going to put all that in eventually. Well, except for the digging, since Zilla is another monster on his own and I'll use that for it if I ever think of a way to add him in. But you can expect one of those abilities you listed to be appearing sooner than you'd expect!**

 **-To avatoa:**

 **G: You see? Other people know our love is genuine!**

… **Yes, I know it too.**

 **G: They try to pull me away, but they don't know the truth!**

 **THAT SONG IS SO OLD!**

 **-To haruaji11:**

 **G: I'm so popular!**

 **Because my imagination made you that way, but we both love you for loving us!**

 **As for Mr. 0.5, you're either going to be completely repulsed by him or love him. Or both.**

 **And… wow! When I said that chapter 28 had the most reviews of all time on this story, I think chapter 29 just broke that record. Keep 'em coming guys! We'll see you next time!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will go kayaking over Niagara Falls!**

 **G: When I die, you stay away from my funeral.**


	31. Artistic Battles on Little Garden

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Song: Two Souls-Towards the Truth by fripSide (Owari no Seraph: Nagoya Kissen-hen Opening, episode 6-12)**

Nobody expected what just happened to occur. One minute the warrior giant was drinking his fill and the next he's wheezing and coughing up blood. To the 3 onlookers, a sudden attack like this is something they never expected. Whatever caused the explosion seemed to have done considerable damage to the giant, as Dorry is now hunched over, blood seeping out of his mouth. None of them knew how the explosives got there.

"How-How did that sake explode?" Vivi whimpered "Could the other giant have-" That idea was quickly dashed when Luffy shot her a glare.

"Were you not paying attention to their battle?" Luffy demanded "If they fought for 100 years, why would either one of them think doing such a thing?!"

"Luffy's right. Those two seem way too hands on to do any underhand tactics like that. If Brogy wanted to sabotage the duel, he would've had many opportunities to do so. It just seems too out of place." Gian agreed.

"Then how could that have happened? Who else could've done it?" Vivi asked.

"You… you guys… did this?!" a rumble sounded from behind them. The 3 turned to see Dorry staggering up, injured but with rage in his eyes. The giant shakily raised his sword, ready to stab the 3 of them. Vivi's eyes widen in horror as she realized the giant's misjudgment.

"He thinks we were the ones who set the trap!" Vivi realized, she wanted to tell everyone to run, as there was no way that the giant would listen to them in his rage-induced frenzy. Beside her, Carue almost fainted from fear and instead simply bolted into the underbush. But before she could do that, she noticed that Luffy and Gian did not budge.

"We aren't going to be able to run from this." Luffy told her.

"But we all know it wasn't one of us! We can't prove that to him if you get killed!"

"There are other ways to get the point across. Sometimes, there will come a time when talking just doesn't work well." Gian repeated.

"But you don't have to fight!" Vivi cried. She then ran between the giant and Luffy. "Dorry-san! Please listen! We don't know anything about the sake exploding!" She pleaded. Dorry eyed the 3 people. They looks like such honest youths, and logically they wouldn't do something like this… But if it wasn't them, then the only one left would be Brogy, and there is simply no way the other giant would do such a thing.

With that in mind, Dorry raised his longsword with a war cry, intending to strike down these small humans.

"So it has to be that way, huh…" Gian sighed "Guess we have no other choice but to convince him physically." The longsword sliced downwards, intending to cut the Kaiju-Zoan user in half. Gian's eyes flashed their usual amber color as a fiery blue aura enveloped him, his Partial Transformation revealed as the blue wave dissipated. Using both hands, he quickly caught the blade as it descended, pushing back against it in a deadlock.

Vivi's eyes widened in horror as the form that Gian took snarled as it pushed back against the sword, the combined force actually cracking the ground beneath him. The burst of energy that the man released was on a completely different level than what Mr. 0.5 could do. And such strength! Although he's still dwarfed by the giant, he was gripping the sword and throwing his weight back with only slight effort! This is what a monster's strength is, and Vivi could do nothing except look on.

Clearly she wasn't the only one familiar with it, as Dorry's eyes widened a fraction when he recognized the form.

"You…have a…"

" **That's right… I had no other choice if you're to be acting like this. Please bear with us for now. DO IT LUFFY!"** Gian barked back.

"Gomu-Gomu no… ROCKET!" and Luffy shot himself towards the giant's stomach. Dorry let out a bellow of pain before slumping over, knocked unconscious with blood dribbling out of his mouth.

"Sorry it had to come to this. But we need you to quiet down for now." Gian sighed as he reverted back to normal.

"Your transformation seemed different this time." Luffy noted "That fire wasn't there before!"

"Yeah… I don't know how that happened either. Another thing to note is that I hardly feel tired after doing so. It's like being on this island makes it easier to access my powers." Gian nodded. He then checked the unconscious Dorry over "His pulse is still there. He's alive, at least."

"Still… who could be so wicked to do such a thing?!" Luffy seethed.

"Could someone else really have done it?" Vivi asked, having gotten over her shock.

"There has to be. Like I said before, the other giant had so many opportunities to do something, but yet they fought on equal footing for the past century. Not to mention the only person in the crew that regularly drinks is Zoro, and he has no idea that there would be giants on this island, not to mention it isn't something any of us would do anyway. That means somebody must've tampered with the alcohol before Brogy got possession of it." Gian confirmed.

"That's right… we're not alone on this island." Luffy deduced.

"Now the question is how they managed to set the trap?" nobody there could come up with a conclusion. It was then, another rumble sounded, the 3 looked up to see the volcano from before spewing up another gush of magma. Luffy and Vivi paled as they saw that, and beside them Dorry began to stir.

* * *

"Dorry-san! You can't! You can't fight with your injuries!" Vivi cried.

"This…this is nothing!" Dorry panted as he got to his feet. In reality, he knew just as well as they did that this wound is more serious than the ones he's ever gotten. However, he can't stop. Not now, not after all he's endured.

"What? What's he going to do?" Gian questioned, though he had an idea of what, and if that were the case, his heart was feeling the same as Luffy and Vivi is right now.

"That volcano… is the signal of their duel." That confirmed it.

"Vivi's right, with how hurt you are right now, this duel could be your last!"

"Then so be it… as a warrior of Elbaf… I will not run away from a battle! Even if I have lost the Will of Elbaf's Gods!" Dorry gritted as he willed himself to stand. "To run away from Elbaf's judgement…. Is to reject my title as a warrior!"

"But can't you see that the battle was sabotaged?! Someone deliberately set this up so you would lose! There's no shame in calling off the fight to look for the culprit!" Gian called out urgently.

"You humans… don't know how the God of Elbaf judges things. As a warrior… once the call of battle sounds… I can't stop… You, who possesses the soul of a warrior Kaiju… should know this…" At this point Dorry was practically about to fall over, but his pride kept pushing him on.

"I'm sorry… I apologize for doubting your honesty earlier, but I cannot let you two interfere." Dorry grunted in pain before swinging his sword downwards, slamming the flat side of the blade into the two youths and sending them flying into the base of the Sea King skull. The two smacked into the bony surface with a grunt of pain, but Dorry wasn't finished yet. Using all his strength, the giant broke off a piece of the skull and used it to literally pin the two under it as Vivi cried out in concern.

"What the hell?! This is unnecessary! /Oi, old man! Get this rock off of me!" Gian and Luffy cried out respectively. But Dorry was already walking away.

"Luffy-san! Gian-san!" Vivi rushed over.

"I'd say something about between a rock and a hard place but I'd just hate myself if I do that…" Gian gritted in pain. Luffy, being made out of rubber, didn't feel the same thing but he was rather mad nonetheless.

What are we going to do? Dorry-san is going to get himself killed if he continues!"

"After what you just saw… do you think we _can_ do anything?" Gian sighed "It's like the Black Knight, he can get his arms and legs cut off and his pride would still make him fight with all he has..." Vivi could say nothing after hearing that, not even bothering to ask about what he was talking about. She can see it too that the warrior giant cannot be held back.

And with that the two giants once again faced each other with weapons raised.

"Gababababa! Feeling recharged after that drink, Dorry?" Brogy laughed.

"Geyagyagyagyag! You bet!" Dorry gave the best grin he could. And with that, Ax met longsword once again in a loud CLANG.

* * *

However, the battle was not like before. While their previous ones saw to it that there was no clear victor, this time Dorry's reaction time was considerably slower due to his injury, and many times he was forced to defend himself as Brogy attacked.

"Eh? What's the matter there Borgy? You seem sluggish, don't tell me that the sake is that strong! Gababababa!"

"Heh, don't imagine things that aren't there." Dorry shot back, putting in as much bravado as he could.

Meanwhile, Luffy, Vivi and Gian were still worried about their giant friend, when out of the underbrush tumbled out Usopp, panting and sweating as if he was just chased by a ghost.

"L-Luffy… Gian… I found you guys at last!"

"Huh? Usopp? What's going on?"

"N-Nami… she's gone! We were going to return to the ship but then we got chased by dinosaurs and then Nami thought she saw you but then she disappeared and it's horrible-" Usopp blubbered out a stream of words.

"WAAAHHHH?! OUR NAVIGATOR IS GONE?!" Luffy wailed.

"Hold on a second… nobody else saw her?" Gian questioned.

"I'm sorry! I was so scared of the dinosaurs that I wasn't watching her! I heard her scream and when I turned around she was already gone! Oh I'm a terrible person! I let my nakama die right beside me and I can't even do anything!"

"Don't think that way! She could've just gotten lost!" Vivi tried to coax.

"We'll look for her right away, well you guys might have to since the two of us are stuck... We have to be extra careful now, there's now somebody else besides us on the island and there's a good chance they're out to get us." Gian winced "Ah shit, I think my legs are losing their feeling!"

"What do you mean by that?" Usopp asked.

"Before Dorry-san and Brogy-san went to do battle, Dorry-san drank down an explosive-rigged barrel of sake that caused his insides to rupture. If you watch them right now, you can see that Dorry isn't as responsive as he was an hour ago." Gian explained "Speaking of which, Dorry-san pinned us down here to stop us from interfering…"

Usopp's eyes widened as he saw that, indeed, Dorry wasn't fighting like he was before. That look of surprise was soon replaced by anger as he comprehended this new knowledge.

"Who would do such a thing?! How dare they sabotage such an honorable duel between two warriors?!"

"That's what we're trying to figure out, we have no idea what their goals are, or if they had any to begin with. But it doesn't matter now, Dorry already went on ahead, he doesn't even listen to us." Gian gritted.

"But they've been fighting on equal footing for 100 years! If he's injured then-"

"Yes… and we can't do anything…"

"How dare they… HOW DARE SOMEBODY MESS UP THEIR DUEL?!" Usopp in particular had plenty of reasons to be angry. Seeing the two giants fight earlier had greatly inspired him. So much in fact, that he wants his vision of being a warrior of the sea to be similar to that, one based on honor. The thought of somebody tarnishing that enraged him to no end.

And indeed, Dorry could not hold up for much longer. Forced on the defensive for the majority of the fight had tired him out too much. He was too slow to block one last swipe of the ax from Brogy, as he let out a shout of pain and crimson blood gushed out of the fresh wound. With a loud thud, Dorry crashed into the ground, unmoving. The battle that had lasted a century, at long last, comes to an end.

"It's… finally over…" Brogy breathed out, and there was no joy in his voice. Although this duel is won, it came at the price of losing a dear friend "After 100 years… and all those draws… this battle is finally over…" tears began dripping down the giant's eyes as he thought back to all their fights.

He was unable to further comprehend his victory however, as another snide voice suddenly cut him off.

"Enjoying your victory? I must say that was quite a battle!" the ferns near Brogy broke to reveal a man of medium height with a smug smile on his face. The man was dressed in neat clothing, as well as orderly hair tied into the shape of the number 3. His bespectacled face had the air of an intellectual feeling. This man is Mr. 3, and he was the one who set the trap that wounded Dorry. The man smile grew wider as he realized that this giant had fallen into his trap as well.

"Who are you?! What do you know about this?!" Brogy demanded.

"I'm a nothing but a humble sculptor, an artist if you will. Me and my partner Miss Goldenweek both are" Mr. 3 stepped aside to reveal a small girl sitting down and enjoying rice crackers. Miss Goldenweek indeed looked the part of an artist, with a large pink hat and two pigtails "But right now, we have to capture you." He held out two wanted posters, they appear dated by quite some time, but the appearance is still roughly the same "Dorry the Blue Ogre and Brogy the Red Ogre, two giant pirates that are worth 200 million beri total! We have already taken care of one, and now it's your turn!" Brogy only then realized what had transpired.

Brogy tried reaching for his weapon but suddenly felt himself trip and crash heavily into the ground. When he turned to look at his legs he was shocked to find them bound with some form of white substance. He tried to break them apart, but whatever bound them had a grip harder than ordinary steel and his legs simply won't budge.

"Tsk, tsk. Is this any way to thank the person who helped you win your duel?"

"What did you say?! What did you do?!"

"Oh nothing, I just had a few associates plant a bomb in that sake earlier. It's what gave you the edge." Mr. 3 snickered.

"You tarnished our duel?! Do you have no morals?!" Brogy roared and tried to reach for him, but Mr. 3 simply sidestepped.

"Oh, you two are such simpletons. It was a foolish fight to begin with! Now quiet down, I need to get prepared."

"What is the meaning of this?!"

Mr. 3's sneer was nothing short of sinister as his left hand produced the same white substance that bounded the giant's legs; it eventually molded itself in the shape of a sword "Oh this? Nothing really, except me turning you into my next piece of artwork." And without another word, the man stabbed the white sword into Brogy's hand, the giant letting out a pained scream.

* * *

 _Meanwhile:_

"That was Brogy-sama!" Usopp realized "Something bad happened to him!"

"Of all the times I could be stuck under a rock…" Gian strained, before smacking his fist into his palm "Wait, how did I forget I could just Transform?! That'll lift the rock off… yeah! I'll do that!" moments of panic really affected his mind set. However, before he could even do any of that…

"You people won't be going anywhere!" A familiar voice declared. Vivi looked up in horror as she saw the duo she encountered at Whiskey Peak holding an injured Carue hostage.

"Who are they?" Usopp whispered.

"Two members of Baroque Works that Zoro and I encountered back in Whiskey Peak, guess they don't know when to quit." Gian snarled.

"This is certainly an interesting day. Originally we were planning to lure the Princess away from the two of you, but it seems that won't be necessary anymore!" Mr. 5 sneered.

"Now it all adds up… who else could make bombs? You tampered with the sake didn't you?!" Gian shouted.

"You're smart… and while I desperately wish for the chance to pay you back for what you did to me back in Whiskey Peak, we're a bit short on time so we'll be taking the princess first."

"What's the rush? How about you let me out so I'll _really_ give you that chance? Or do you not like getting your ass handed to you?" Gian taunted. His head then flung backwards when Mr. 5 kicked it, a resulting explosion clouding the rock and making Luffy wheeze.

"Gian-san!" Vivi cried out.

"If you don't watch your mouth someone's gonna shut it for you!" Mr. 5 snarled as he raised his leg for another kick, before Miss Valentine reminded him of their mission, to which he reluctantly decided to stop.

"To think we had to interrogate the bird to find you, when you were here all along!" Miss Valentine added. Said duck is battered all over and could barely let out a warble.

"How could you?! Carue has nothing to do with this!" Vivi snarled.

"So you two were the ones who sabotaged the giant's duel!" Usopp realized.

"It seems that Strawhat has more crewmates… I suppose we should take care of them first." Mr. 5 sighed.

"Kyahahaha! Of course, Mr. 5!" Miss Valentine sneered.

Vivi got out her peacock slashers and got into a fighting stance. She knew she doesn't really have much of a chance against 2 more experienced agents, but with Luffy and Gian currently incapacitated there isn't any other option. Beside her, Usopp raised his slingshot as well, rage evident in his eyes despite his fear.

"So you two think you're a match for us? It'll be the biggest mistake you'll ever make" Mr. 5 growled, and that fact could not be more apparent when Usopp fired the **Kayaku Boshi** yet Mr. 5 didn't even seemed phased by the explosion. What it did, however, was send Miss Valentine up into the air; the female agent cackling all the way as she increased her weight and came crushing down on the duo. The impact sent Usopp reeling and Vivi to tumble into the arms of Mr. 5.

"Don't worry, we aren't going to kill you just yet. We'll leave that to Mr. 3. But as for you 3…" Mr. 5 scoffed before shooting another **Nose Fancy Cannon** at the now downed trio of boys. Not even bothering to check them again, he began dragging Vivi away, with the princess both angered and fearful to realize Mr. 3 was also on the island.

* * *

However, the bomb wasn't enough to kill the 3 of them as Luffy, Gian and Usopp coughed away while the smoke cleared.

"Goddammit… if only I wasn't stuck under this rock…" Luffy scowled "I'll never forgive them!"

"And I was going to pound them to bits in my Partial Transformation too… that Mr. 5 bastard especially. It's a shame I left Atom Splitter back at the ship…" Gian rubbed his now healed face "That's it… we've wasted enough time already, let's make them pay!" Just like before the same fiery blue aura burst around Gian's body before revealing his transformed self. With the increased strength he easily lifted the rock off the two of them and threw it to the side, before picking Usopp and Carue up.

" **You two fit to keep up?"** he asked. He was definitely ready; the Goji Goji no mi's super regeneration healed even quicker the more advanced his transformed state is, and his bone realigned themselves in a matter of seconds.

"Even if I sustain anymore injuries… I won't forgive them either!" Usopp replied adamantly, his usual cowardly feelings all gone for the moment. Carue likewise let out a quack, angry tears in his eyes.

"Ok! Let's go kick their asses!" Luffy declared as the 4 set out to save Vivi.

 _Soon:_

Mr. 3 was almost at the climax of his plan when the trees nearby split apart to reveal the 4 people he thought had died.

"Mr. 5… I thought you said you've killed them…" he grunted irritably.

" **Oh please… that little pebble he threw couldn't even hurt a fly**!" Gian sneered.

Mr. 3's eyes widened at the sight of the Partially Transformed man. The bounty they received didn't mention he was a Kaiju-Zoan user… he had thought only that man in their organization has something like that… beside him, Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine had similar thoughts. The man was hiding this?!

"Why is there a giant cake?" Luffy asked.

And it was a very strange and terrifying sight indeed. To the right of Mr. 3 was a large white object, shaped just like said pastry. But what's more appaling was the fact that their nakama were currently trapped atop the massive construct, with the white substance steadily creeping up their bodies. A few distances away they saw Brogy pinned to the ground with 4 white swords impaling his arms and legs with the same white substance covering parts of his body, the giant seemed to have angry tears running down his face. That sight in particular infuriated Luffy and Usopp.

"Brogy-sama! We're here to avenge you!"

"Usopp-kun…"

"Luffy! Gian! Usopp!" Nami shouted "You're here!"

"Carue!" Vivi also cried with relief, happy to see her duck alright.

"Hurry up and take them out!" Zoro shouted; one of his legs seemed to be freshly cut for some reason.

"That's exactly what we're about to do!" Luffy declared and cracked his knuckles.

"We got your back! Go get 'em you two!" Usopp shouted… while hiding in a tree with Carue… it seems like all that sudden courage left him…

Mr. 3 regained his composure as he looked down at his opponents.

"It seems I will be adding 'Straw Hat' Luffy and "Beast Warrior' Gian to my collection as well!"

" **You sure about that? You're two lackeys there had their asses handed to them a day ago by me and Zoro, what could you possibly do?"** Gian retorted.

"Simple, by using my intellect. Even if you have the powers of a Kaiju-Zoan, it's nothing in the face of a superior mind! **Candle Lock!"**

The same white substance that appeared around them now shot out of Mr. 3's arms. Luffy and Gian soon found themselves bound by it as it wrapped around their legs.

"Gah! This thing tripped me!" Luffy cried.

" **Wait… is this wax?!** " Gian noted with surprise.

"That's right! I ate the **Doru Doru no Mi,** which makes me a wax human! The wax I produce from my body are harder than steel, so even strength from the likes of a giant or Kaiju can't break out of it!" Mr. 3 gloated, and it would seem that way, as try as they might, Gian and Luffy could not break free.

"Oh, and did I mention that you guys don't have much time? The longer this battle goes, the more wax my **Giant Candle Service Set** produces, until it completely coats your friends and turns them into wax statues!" Luffy's eyes widened as he saw that, at the top of the giant cake, there was multiple flames lit, the heat slowly dripping wax down onto his nakama.

"Oh no! We have to knock it down!" Luffy immediately threw a **Gomu Gomu no Pistol** at the cake, but found that it didn't even budge once! To his horror, Nami, Zoro and Vivi were extra frantic as more wax rained down upon them.

"Oooh! Big mistake! The more you hit it, the faster the process is! So it's best you don't!"

"You bastard!" Luffy snarled.

"I have to say, I'm thoroughly disappointed. The Marines gave a dumb kid like you a 30 million bounty? What a joke! Now how about I show you just what it's like to have your nakama turned to wax statues? Starting with 'Beast Warrior' Gian!"

Gian's eyes shot into saucers as he felt the wax lock around his legs expand more and more, and befor long his entire body was covered by it with only his head remaining. As the wax slowly crept up his neck, he stopped struggling and dipped his head.

Then he began chuckling.

"Hmmm? What's so funny?"

" **Oh, nothing… just that I realized you have the worst possible match up right now…"**

"Still trying to sound tough even as you're about to die? You sure are a stubborn one!" Mr. 3 snapped.

" **That, I am. But it was your mistake to assume that I know nothing about the properties of wax. I'll let you in on a secret, I know a family where 3 of them are scientists, and they know all about the chemical properties of wax."** Gian's mouth had a dim glow to it as he prepared an **Atom Ray** , the wax almost covering his head now. At the last moment however, he clamped his mouth shut as the wax completely covered him.

And then a blue glow lit up his entire body and the wax coating was blown off into all directions the next instant. Mr. 3's eyes were the size of saucers as he saw that.

" **That's right, wax can't take heat. And it just so happens that the Goji Goji no Mi's radiation produce a ton of that! It's the same reason why your hair has a small lit flame on it, right? You're technique cannot do anything to me!"**

* * *

Mr. 3 gulped, this just became many times more difficult. "S-so what if you can dissolve my wax? The rest of your nakama are still at my mercy! And in case you didn't know, you're outnumbered here."

Gian simply smirked before heating up his fist and melting off Luffy's shackles " **I think the two of us are more than enough for you amateurs. But first…"** Gian's dorsal fins glowed blue for a second before he fired the **Atom Ray** at a large group of trees behind the large white cake, lighting them on fire. Mr. 3 yelped as he saw the giant wax construct began to droop and melt, freeing the 3 that are trapped.

" **Now Luffy, why don't we start?"** Gian grinned savagely as he charged forward, his fist cocked back and glowing with atomic energy. Mr. 3 hastily raised a wax wall in an attempt to shield himself, but the heat from the punch is enough to cut a hole through the barrier, which Gian ripped out of the way. Before he could punch anything however, multiple explosions peppered the side of his body, causing him the grunt in pain as he turned and glared at the source.

"It makes me so mad that you just won't die!" Mr. 5 snarled as he blew into a revolver, clearly the source of the explosions earlier "I'm gonna finish you off here!"

" **Oh, that's right… I still owe you one for that kick earlier…"** Gian growled " **Luffy, go get the wax man, I have something to settle."**

" **Breeze Breath Bomb!"** Mr. 5 shouted and unloaded the entire revolver at the Partially Transformed Kaiju-Zoan user, the resulting explosions completely enveloping him. To his horror, when the smoke cleared, Gian's amber colored eyes were blazing even more with anger as he continued to charge forward, each step partially cracking the ground.

Mr. 5 didn't even have a chance to move as Gian raked his claws across his chest, the force so great that it sent him flying back several feet, snapping through several trees. He was out before he even hit the ground.

"That's the power of a Kaiju…" Brogy noted as he viewed the whole process. He has heard tales of Kaiju before, but he didn't think he'd see one in his lifetime!

"G-Gian-san… it's like he has no restraint left…" Vivi whispered hoarsely, fear creeping back into her voice again. It was like Mr. 0.5 all over again; there wasn't as much savagery, but the amount of strength was terrifying nonetheless.

"It's what a battle is like, if you don't fight with all you got, you will lose." Zoro told her.

"But he doesn't have to be-"

"From the way I see it, the bomb guy just pissed him off. He really does show no mercy when that happen." Zoro dismissed.

Vivi nodded slightly and continued to watch the fight. Even if that's the case, she still didn't like seeing it.

Back with Gian, it seems that even Miss Valentine has decided she has nothing left to lose as she tried to throw out a kick, increasing her weight in an attempt to make it hit harder. But Gian simply spun around and lashed out with his tail, sending the woman spiraling into the ground, knocked out as well.

" **That outta teach you not to mess with me… now it's just the wax man…"**

Mr. 3 was panting hard right now. Try as he might he could not keep up with the vicious strikes of the rubber boy. And now it seems that Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine were down as well! He spots Gian walking back towards him, his dorsal fins glowing.

The next moment, the **Atom Ray** shot out of his mouth… but not towards the Wax human, but towards Luffy!

"WHA?! GIAN WATCH WHERE YOU'RE AIMING!" Luffy yelped as he narrowly avoided the searing beam, his clothes slightly singed.

" **What just happened?! I was aiming at Mr. 3!** " Gian protested and charged up another **Atom Ray** , only to fire it at the sidelines where Nami, Zoro and Vivi were standing.

"Oi! Are you crazy?!" Zoro snapped as Nami and Vivi screamed as they huddled together.

"What's going on?" Nami was bewildered.

" **I swear I'm not doing that on purpose!** " he tried again, but once again diverted his aim at the last second, this time at the tree where Usopp and Carue were hiding, sending them tumbling out with a yelp.

" **Help! I've been possessed**!" Gian scrambled around, this time lifting his tail in an attempt to smack Luffy with it, one that was once again intended for Mr. 3. The self-proclaimed sculptor now had a devious sneer on his face; he knows exactly what just happened.

It was then Usopp got up groggily, before looking down and spotting something peculiar on his shirt.

"W-Why is there this red mark on me?!"

"Huh?! I have one of these too!" Luffy also noticed a similar marking

"We have one as well!" Nami noted as did Zoro and Vivi.

The bushes the rustled, to reveal a stoic Miss Goldenweek, holding what appears to be a color palette.

"What will this beast do now? Every attack you throw will be aimed at those who bear the **Togyu no Aka**." The little girl explained before retreating back into the underbrush to eat more rice crackers.

Gian gritted his teeth at the statement " **So that's why all my attacks were launched at them instead… that's a real cheap blow you know that?!"**

"Cheap? This is how a battle is to be won! I did say that my intellect will triumph over your strength, did I not? And with me and my partner combining our tricks, victory is assured!" Wax began to gather around the artist, piling up until a new form is created. This resembled some form of giant automaton, fit with boxing gloves and heavy armor. Only Mr. 3's face peeked out of a small opening.

"Now, let's see if you can handle the **Candle Champion!** To let you know, I once defeated a pirate with a 42 million bounty with this! It is my ultimate art creation! **"** Mr. 3 threw one of the construct's fist forwards, pushing Gian back.

" _ **Dammit… this thing actually hits quite hard! And I can't do any attacks or else it might hit them instead… what do I do… wait, if that red mark was painting on their clothing… then couldn't they-"**_ he was interrupted in an attempt to dodge another blow from the Candle Champion.

" **Everybody! You need to ditch the clothes! This way the mark will come off too!"**

"They won't get the chance! **Champ Fight: Oraga Hatake!** " Mr. 3 shouted as he threw multiple punches forwards while moving like a bulldozer, plowing towards the remaining Strawhats. In this barrage the group found themselves too busy running to shed any clothing.

" **Well shit… guess there's only that way left… Everybody, run towards me!"** Gian shouted as the group did just that, leading Mr. 3 to them all the way. At the last moment, they noticed that Gian swallowed another **Atom Ray** and that his body was glowing blue again. With wide eyes they hastily jumped out of the way, but Mr. 3 couldn't stop in time and ran straight into the grasp of the Kaiju-Zoan user.

" **Atom Pulse!"** once again, atomic energy burst through his pores, sending a wave bursting from him, with the **Candle Champion** bearing the brunt of the attack. The resulting heat was so intense that it singed the mark right off his nakama, freeing them from its control and leaving a small hole in whatever piece of clothing the mark was on.

"The mark is off! You did it- ow! Hot! Hot! Hot!" Luffy cheered then began to pat his shirt in an attempt to cool off.

"Good job, try not to burn us next time you do that…" Zoro grumbled.

"Looks like I need to paint another-" Miss Goldenweek noted as she reached for her pallet, only to feel a tap on her shoulders. Turning around she found herself face to face with an annoyed Carue. She didn't even get the chance to say anything before the duck head-butted her, knocking her out.

Back with the crew, Luffy and Gian then noticed a groan coming from the melted blob that is the remains of the **Candle Champion**. Mr. 3 crawled weakly out of the remains, at this point he realized he had lost. There was simply no way he could overpower all of them… he gave a yelp as he felt himself lifted until eye level by Gian, who by now had transformed back to a regular person. Fury was clear in his eyes, along with the rest of the group.

"Hey, now… let's talk about this…"

"Yeah, I'll tell you something. I don't appreciate when people use me against my friends…" Gian growled "So we will do the only thing necessary. Luffy?"

The captain didn't need another word as he cocked back his fist and rammed it straight into Mr. 3's face, sending him flying and knocking him out as well. At last, it seems like the battle is over.

* * *

"That was an incredible battle! You two truly are worthy of being warriors as well!" Brogy stated as he was freed from his torture.

"We're just a few people who can't stand certain actions." Gian answered.

"Indeed, what that man did was most dishonorable. To think he'd sink so low to tamper with our fight…" Brogy gritted "He dare question the judgement of Elbaf… he knows nothing!"

"Now I wonder what I will do… the one reason for me being here is gone… BWAAAAHHHHH!" Brogy burst into tears, the very thought of his dead friend is nigh unbearable.

"He's making a rainbow with his tears!" Luffy pointed out.

"For crying out loud… can't a guy get some rest?!" a voice nobody expected to hear was heard, and that almost made everybody jump out of their skin. Brogy especially was slack jawed.

"AHHHH! ZOMBIE GIANT!" Gian faceplanted.

"Don't be stupid, you idiot! B-But how?!" Usopp snapped.

None other than Dorry the Blue Ogre limped towards them, exhausted and with a scar crusted with dry blood, but very much alive.

"Dorry-san? But you were…" Vivi asked.

"Yeah… but I guess it wasn't enough to kill me! Dorry wheezed before finding himself tackled by his giant companion.

"ACK! Brogy stop! I may be alive but I'm still injured!"

"I'm just so glad you're alive! Though how? I was sure I landed the final blow…"

"It appears our weapons have been dulled by our century long brawl." Dorry explained.

"That's right! All that fighting must've made them lose their edge!" Usopp realized.

"Oh thank Elbaf! My friend is alive!" Brogy sighed.

"Heh, that eager to knock my teeth out again?"

* * *

As the giants continued to hug it out, the rest of the crew were huddled around discussing what to do next.

"How are we going to get off the island?" Nami brought up the question again "We can't wait a year! Especially not with the situation going on with Vivi!"

"With everything going against us… it seems like the only thing that we can do is just drift and hope for the best…" Gian sighed.

"That's suicide! We'll never make it!" Usopp yelped.

"Perhaps we don't have to!" a voice rang from the forest behind them. The crew turned to see none other than Sanji riding out on a sabre-tooth tiger, which appeared quite beaten up. He got off and quickly presented an unexpected surprise, but one that was very welcome.

"This- This is a…" Nami stuttered.

"Yup, it's an Eternal Pose to Alabasta!"

"Where did you find this?" Gian questioned.

"Oh, it was lying around in a small wax house, belonging to some guy called Mr. 3. I suppose you guys took care of him?"

"Yeah, don't worry about him anymore, but this is great news!"

"Yeah! We can set sail again!" Luffy cheered.

Vivi immediately ran over and enveloped the cook in a big hug "Oh thank you Sanji-san! This is the best thing that can happen!"

"Oh… it was nothing really~" Sanji swooned at that.

"Good to see you're useful for something…" Zoro snorted.

"Oi! Who won the hunting contest again?!" Sanji snapped, rage in his eyes.

"I did, Dartboard Brow! Did you really think you could beat me in that regard?"

"Oh you freaking Marimo I'm gonna-" and just like that, the two of them butted heads and glared hard at each other, causing everyone else to sweatdrop. Gian sighed; why did he get the feeling this will be a common occurrence from now on?

"This is certainly a lively crew, isn't it Dorry?" Brogy laughed at the scene.

"It sure is, friend." Dorry smiled lightly.

"Well we should be going now, Goodbye Giant old men!" Luffy laughed and waved.

"Wait, there's one thing I want to do before we leave." Gian remembered. The next second, the remaining Strawhats were knocked on their butts by a pulse of energy, as Gian emerged in his Full Transformation, which to his surprise is even taller than the two giants by around 10 meters!

" **Wait… I'm actually bigger?"**

"Gababababa! Did you really think we'd be smaller? I'd expect a Kaiju-Zoan eater to be at least more knowledgeable about their monster!" Brogy chuckled.

" **You two know of the Kaiju-Zoans?"**

"Of course! Believe us when we say that the Kaiju themselves have their place in Elbaf history!" Dorry told him.

"That's right! The old stories we heard in our youth, of how proud warriors chosen by Elbaf have faced Kaiju in battle! They may be bestial in nature, but they have noble souls like the best of warriors! It is an honor to do battle with one, no matter the outcome!" Brogy added.

" **I… did not know that. This is the first time I heard about it actually."** Gian revealed " _ **Maybe what I saw in that stone block has some relation to this story…"**_

"Well, we thought they were mere folktale material as well, until we witnessed your transformation today! And while we would love to test our strength against the living soul of one, it appears your journey is one of great urgency, so we will put that on hold for now." Dorry nodded.

"Yeah… I guess, thanks for the knowledge." Gian nodded as he transformed back "Ok, let's go back to the ship!"

"…Didn't you once said that you'd only use the Full Transformation in urgent situations?" Sanji gave him a flat look.

"Yeah, but this time it was brief, plus I was really curious so I'll bend the rules just this once." Gian brushed him off.

"That's not an excuse." Zoro muttered.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Oh yeah, I can't move right now, so may one of you help carry me back to the Merry?"

"YOU CAN CRAWL!" everyone shouted.

"You guys are jerks…" Gian scoffed before noticing Vivi giving him a small frown.

"You shouldn't use your powers so recklessly."

"…Fine, I'll warn you guys next time…"

Vivi giggled at that; she was sure of it now. Gian-san is nothing like Mr. 0.5.

* * *

A bit later the Straw hats have begun to sail away, each of them still waving farewells back to the giant duo.

Usopp in particular is extra vocal. His time spent in the giant's presence has helped shaped his identity, and was a very gratifying experience.

"We'll go to Elbaf one day, won't we?" he asked the rest of the crew.

"Totally! I want to go there too!" Luffy agreed.

"I would like that as well, especially after our little conversation today I'm really interested in learning more about the Kaiju Mythos." Gian nodded as well.

"YEAH! I'M GOING TO BECOME A BRAVE WARRIOR OF THE SEA LIKE THOSE TWO!"

However, all was not over. For without realizing, the Straw hats were soon enveloped in darkness.

Ashore, Dorry and Brogy were also waving their own tearful goodbyes when the scene unfolded. Wordlessly they drew their weapons. This was something they had expected to happen, but they were not about to let that ruin the journey of their new friends.

"There's still the Island Eater that we must take care of." Brogy mentioned.

"Indeed, the monster that devoured all who set foot away from the island, who's excrements are large enough to become islands."

The creature that swallowed the Going Merry is none other than a giant goldfish. It's red and white scales, normally beautiful, looked deadly on such a creature.

"We will not let your stop our friends!"

"Behold our strongest attack!"

" **HAOKOKU!"**

With a mighty roar, both giants smashed their weapons into the ground in a single vertical swing. The blow so mighty that it caused a vibrant shockwave to erupt, shooting right at the giant fish. The monster stood no chance as the burst of energy tore a hole clean through its stomach, and carried the Going Merry out with it!

"OhGoodLordAboveI'vebeenagoodpersonandhaven'tsinnedmostofthe- Wait… we're alive!" Gian was in the middle of an urgent prayer as he accepted death before realizing he could see the sun again.

"We were just eaten… Dorry-san and Brogy-san saved us!" Nami realized.

"Thank you! We owe you one!" Luffy waved again.

The two giants only waved back with large grins on their faces. The force of the blow was so much that it completely disintegrated their aged weapons. However, in their mind that was a small price to pay.

"That was close… wait… Didn't you once say something about a giant goldfish before Usopp?" Gian suddenly remembered. When he didn't get a response, he turned to see the sniper passed out on the deck, foaming at the lips. It appears even he could not fathom the mere thought of his lie being a reality…

* * *

 _Far away:_

The room was dimly lit, with smoke rising within the room, but a person could be seen silhouetted against the shadows. With so little light it was hard to make out who it was. However, if you were to be in the presence of this person, you would be intimidated immediately. The figure, male in posture, looked up to see someone else enter the room.

"It's been some time since you've given me an assignment, was starting to think you forgot about me." The new person rasped.

"You don't exactly give someone many options" the silhouetted shadow's voice was very gravelly, and added further into the intimidation factor. However, the one he is speaking to does not seemed to be affected at all.

"Oh, come on! I know I get a bit excessive at times, but it's part of my charm! Besides, I just can't help it! So many pieces of meat to chew up…" the new voice was sinister, and, if you knew it's history, one that is drenched by blood time and time again.

"That's what I meant… however, it is times like this where I need that excessiveness." The silhouetted figure reached out with his left hand, only instead it is a large golden hook, curved and with a wide base "You see, I have a few uncooperative agents that have been lying to me, and you're the perfect one for the job to dispose of them… do you accept, Mr. 0.5?"

The now revealed Mr. 0.5 grinned viciously as he bent down and lightly brushed his lips against the metal appendage. He, himself was not one that is you'd normally expect to find walking on the street. The man is of above average height, with a hunched, toned body. He wore what appears to be reddish leather that covered his chest and legs, and twin double bladed hand axes strapped to his back.

The man raised his head, a head that is completely covered by a bloodstained balaclava that revealed only his eyes and mouth; a mouth that had teeth filed into sharp points, and his coal black eyes lit up in savage delight. He knew exactly what this assignment will bring, and it will be wonderful.

"You had me hooked the moment you spoke the first word… Mr. 0".

 **A/N: Ok… I'll tell you right now that this chapter had been a complete pain to write. For a while I didn't know if my previous ideas would work so I did lots of revision. But now we're finally done Little Garden, and we'll finally be getting to Drum Island! And you all know what that means?**

 **G: That' you'll finally quit being a virgin and ask your crush out?**

 **Get out of here.**

 **G: This is too easy.**

 **A slight heads up: updates might be slowing down a bit. School has started again and that's where my main focus is right now. I'm sorry if the wait is a bit longer, but I need to get my priorities straight. But don't worry, the fun stuff is just beginning, so we'll have plenty more to get to!**

 **Now, Responses to Reviews! And DAMN! That's 3 chapter now with double digit reviews! You guys are amazing and I hope you know that. Keep it up!**

 **To Guest 1:**

 **It's good to be back.**

 **G: Always**

 **To Vergil Leonidas:**

 **Glad you enjoyed it! The backstory will be revealed more as the story goes!**

 **G: More to come!**

 **To Guest 2:**

 **Oh I will, some day… one day…**

 **G: 3 weeks later… many months later… so much later that the OCs of the story got tired of waiting and Author-san had to write in new ones.**

 **You better not.**

 **To tamagat:**

 **Gian usually prefers hand to hand orientated combat, though now that he has Atom Splitter he has used that as well. The tendency to use the weapon decreases as he transforms, with the Full Transformation being completely tooth and claw.**

 **G: And beams, don't forget the beams**

 **And the beams. As for whose training him, that's a secret.**

 **G: And also, scientists get freaked out by things too. Have you seen the video with the baby octopus?**

 **To Xolsis:**

 **Glad you enjoyed that. I will try to make up Devil Fruit OCs that can actually match up to him, most likely in a filler arc or something.**

 **G: Why are you limiting my free speech?**

 **That isn't even remotely the same thing.**

 **To Matt:**

 **You can decide next chapter, because that's your first taste of Mr. 0.5.**

 **G: Also great name, I approve!**

 **To Chance Green G King:**

 **You'll see a bit of Mr. 0.5 in the next chapter, and if you can guess the Kaiju by then, good job!**

 **To Kamen Rider Heisei:**

 **G: This is oppression.**

 **No it is justice.**

 **G: Well it sucks.**

 **You have no say in anything.**

 **To anquan:**

 **G: Finally, someone who sees the light!**

 **Don't encourage him, he's just starting to mellow out…**

 **But you can expect it to continue!**

 **To Guest 3:**

 **G: Check your privilege!**

 **Why have you been on Tumblr…?**

 **G: I'm not, I'm just using phrases that I think works.**

 **It doesn't… and yes, full permission granted. I will even oversee the whole thing!**

 **To haruaji11:**

 **That vision will comeback in the future, and will be explained further.**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **Glad you like it, and when Gian does find out about what Robin's Devil Fruit will do, he'll be more interested than anything else.**

… **Aren't you going to say something?**

 **G: I'd rather admire her silently from afar… after all you do that to the object of your affection all the time, to no avail might I add…**

 **Don't bring me into this…**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **Vivi's encounter with Mr. 0.5 will be revealed next chapter! So look forward to that!**

 **And, see Gian? That's what will happen.**

 **G: Oh, I know that. I've been doing that for the last 5 minutes.**

 **WAIT WHAT?! JUST LIKE THAT?!**

 **G: Yeah, I've come to accept that we will meet again one day and will await that day, until then I will be patient.**

 **Dreams do come true…**

 **But yeah, we'll see you next time! Keep being amazing!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will go LARP!**

 **G: You're running out of things for me to do… are you?**


	32. When the Navigator gets sick

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Song: Two Souls-Towards the Truth by fripSide (Owari no Seraph: Nagoya Kissen-hen Opening, episode 6-12, and as per arc change, the opening is altered slightly)**

 ** _Zutto yumemiteita, kowaresou na kibou. Toki o koe kousa shita, sorezore no yasashisa_**

 _(The Strawhats are all around the ship doing various activities: Luffy and Usopp are chasing Carue around the ship, while Vivi is laughing at the scene, Nami is looking at where they're going to go next, while Zoro is taking a nap against the mast. Sanji is bringing the girls on the ship some snacks, while Gian is writing something in his journal. The screen then darkens to show the silhouette of Gian's Full Transformation behind him.)_

 ** _Futo miageru sora ni kimi no egao egaku. Ano hi kara, bokutachi wa, chigao sekai o mitai._**

 _(A scene of Luffy and Gian standing back to back, with another image of Shanks and Triton further behind them respectively. The scene then changes a snowy landscape with what appears to be an elderly woman looking at a jolly roger with cherry blossoms decorating it.)_

 ** _Omoi ga afureru, shinjiau koto wa, tayasui koto dato, sono kikeku ga shitteru._**

( _The scene is roughly the same as before, except it now clearly shows Mr. 0.5 rising out of a mountain of bodies with blood dripping off his hands and mouth bearing a crazed grin with the same fiery backdrop.)_

 ** _Hikari no yami ni kakuresareta kono michi o susume dake, futatsu no omoi ga kirameku "kimi o mamoritai"_**

 _(The seen switches to what appears to be a small furry humanoid figure with a big pink hat and antlers standing back to back with another person with a cross shaped hairstyle. As the shadow of a large, wide man with some kind of fur and a big mouth stretches his hand out, the little figure lets out a cry of defiance.)_

 ** _Kokoro ni kanjiru kizuna o dakishimite_**

 ** _tachigaru toki wa ima kanashimi kirisaite_**

 ** _Two souls go… toward the truth!_**

 ** _Sono egao sagashite, kono omoi ga bokura o tsuyoku shinjitsu e to michibiku._**

 _(The scene then shows Luffy and Gian facing off against a group of large rabbits, before showing the large man from before locking himself in combat with another man, this time one that is half bison. The scene then changes to the little furry figure staring in amazement as Gian and another man dressed with the design of a mushroom squaring off against each other. The opening ends with Gian firing his Atom Ray, dispelling a large cloud of purple smoke.)_

 **And now let's begin.**

* * *

"No! Impossible! We couldn't have been-"

"Come on now, why look so surprised? I'm honestly more surprised that the big man didn't come after you two himself, then again he is rather busy. Not that I'm one to complain; this is good for me after all!"

Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine's day could not have been worse.

Being defeated once was already a huge blow to their pride, but being defeat twice, by the same person no less, was something considerably different. Their lost to the Kaiju-Zoan user did not sit well with them, and they vowed revenge against the one who shamed them like this.

But it looks like the chance for that just plummeted to zero.

"Now, we can end this quickly, but I like to savor my kills so probably not." Mr. 0.5 savagely gnashed his teeth as he pushed himself out of a massive hole in the ground. "Now, where is Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek? I thought the 4 of you were together."

Mr. 5 gulped; if the boss sent Mr. 0.5 after them, there can only be one reason. Although he has never met their boss personally, for only 2 people knew who he was and one of them was standing directly in front of them, he knew that Mr. 0 did not tolerate failure. And when that happens, Mr. 0.5 is sent to dispose of those no longer deemed useful for Baroque Works.

He's witnessed it a few times, and it was never pretty. Who would've thought that that fate would befall them today…

"Please! You can't do this to us! We've served Baroque Works loyally ever since we joined!" Miss Valentine pleaded.

"Sorry sweetie, don't think I get to make that decision. And even then, I wouldn't. I haven't had any _snacks_ for a long time!" Mr. 0.5's expression hardened "Now, I'll ask again, where are Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek?!"

"Mr. 3 fled the island… he left us here…" Mr. 5 gritted.

"Hmm… that's a shame. I guess I will make due with 2 appetizers instead of a full course meal then…" Mr. 0.5 sneered "Don't hate me for this, it's only my instincts after all."

Mr. 5 realized that there was no way out of this; they were really going to die. In one last desperation fueled action he whipped out his revolver.

" **Breeze Breath Bomb!"**

The resulting explosions blanketed the larger man in smoke. For a while nothing can be heard.

Until something shot out of the smoke and impacted Mr. 5 into the ground. The man let out a scream of pain as he felt Mr. 0.5's weight on his torso. He looked up and saw that the man's teeth were now stretching out of his gums.

Then the higher ranked agent plunged his jaws right into his throat, ripping out his trachea with one fluid motion.

Mr. 5 let out one last choked gurgle, before all life drained out of him.

"Mr. 5!" Miss Valentine screamed as she witnessed the whole ordeal. There was no way they even stood a chance against this man – this _monster_ -, a figure that rejected his very own humanity for power that rose above many mortals.

All thought was now lost, as Miss Valentine tried in vain to flee from the sight. For when Mr. 0.5 catches you, He does more than just kill.

However, she soon found that running is futile. She soon fell to the ground with a heavy thud, weeping and whimpering as her hunter stalked behind her. Then the pain hit.

Miss Valentine's screams could've been heard by the two giants even, however those two were currently napping after delivering their sendoff, and even then, the sound of the rainforest easily drowned out the cry.

In her last moments, she looked behind her. Through her tear filled eyes she could just make out Mr. 0.5's looming visage; the man's look was monstrous; his skin a leathery reddish brown, claws jutting out of his fingers. A short tail swished eagerly behind his body while a head that was cross between a dinosaur and a bulldog's drooled eagerly. The creature's flapping ears betrayed his malicious intent as he lowered his horned head; a singular horn, one that jutted put between his eyes; the balaclava partially obscured his features, but it was still evident that the beast in front of her is a killer.

The creature's mouth had smoke billowing out of it and a dim orange glow at the back of his throat, stalking towards her on all fours. Miss Valentine's eyes gazed down to see her legs completely severed from knees down; a common occurrence to those who cross paths with this killer, the irony is that she was on the receiving end this time. The grievous wound did not bleed; heat had already cauterized everything.

" **You tried to run… I thank you for that… I always do like it when my prey thinks they can flee…"** Mr. 0.5's guttural voice dripped out as he pinned her down, his teeth now massive and sharp, aiming straight at her neck " **But it doesn't matter, in the end, you're all still nothing more than prey…"**

Then he bit down, breaking her neck in an instant. Mr. 0.5 transformed back and dragged the two bodies beside each other. It is now time for his favorite part of the hunt. He was about to prepare until…

 ***purupurupurupuru**

He sighed; it must be the boss. Mr. 0.5 figured he should probably get this over with before getting to enjoy his grisly meal. He removed the Den Den Mushi from his pocket and answered

* **Gatcha.**

"I'm busy right now… you interrupted me…" He growled into the snail. The snail that he was speaking into had a condescending expression plastered to its face, along with a horizontal scar…

" _Then I assumed you're finished then?"_ the deep voice of Mr. 0 spoke from the other end.

"Yes… both Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine are eliminated. However, Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek are not present on the island, perhaps they've escaped before I came here."

" _Very well, we will go after them later. Meanwhile return to Rainbase. We will begin the final step of our operation."_

"Yeah, yeah I got you. By the way the two giants that Mr. 3 was supposed to take care of are present on this island, want me to take them down too?"

" _No, don't waste any more time. We no longer have need for that._ " Mr. 0 grunted " _And that includes you returning. Do not do anything with their corpses."_

"Hey, now I thought you know-"

" _You can indulge in your disgusting habits when you get back to your lair, stop wasting time!"_ Mr. 0 snapped before hanging up.

"That son of a bitch… always making my life harder…" Mr. 0.5 sighed and picked up the two bodies and dropped back into the giant hole. It seems that he must now wait before he gets what he wants. But he's not concerned, meat does need some seasoning after all!

 _At sea, far away:_

"SNOWBALL FIGHT!"

"WAIT I'M NOT READY Y-"

The weather of the Grand Line once again proves itself unpredictable. This time, a light blanket of snow has blanketed the Going Merry and its captain is taking full advantage of it as he chucked more snowballs at the sniper of the crew. This quickly devolved into a full blown war when two of the stray balls smacked into the cook as well as the monster, who promptly teamed up and ended up throwing frozen liquid balls back and forth until they all passed out from exhaustion. Nami shook her head at the boys, while Zoro was too busy training in the Crow's Nest.

"It sure is nice to see them having fun." Vivi giggled.

"Yeah… you can call it that." Nami sweatdropped.

"YEAH! WE WIN!" Luffy and Usopp cheered.

"We weren't playing to begin with!" "We were just retaliating!" Sanji and Gian protested.

"Whatever, I'm going to go train with Zoro, you guys can do this on your own." Gian scoffed before climbing up the Crow's Nest.

"Then I shall go make you two lovely ladies some snacks! Wait right here!" Sanji swooned before dashing into the kitchen. Luffy and Usopp resumed their snowball fight, which left the girls on the side.

"From here it should just be a straight shot to Alabasta, if nothing else happens." Nami informed her.

"I'm so glad. Thank you once again for taking me there." Vivi smiled. Her mission has not left her mind ever since they left, and she is truly grateful to the crew for volunteering to take her there. Now, there might actually be a chance.

"Come on now! There really isn't any reason to say things like that! We're practically friends now, aren't we?" Nami grinned "So you don't have to- have… to-"

Whatever she was going to say never left her lips as everything went black before her eyes. In that moment, Nami slumped over on the deck, causing Vivi to let out a panicked yelp.

"Everybody! Come Quickly! Something is wrong with Nami-san!" Vivi cried out.

The whole crew was out in an instant, surrounding the fallen navigator. Gian tentatively reached out a hand and felt her forehead.

"She's burning up… she has a fever!" he cursed "Alright, calm down… Sanji! Go get some water. Usopp, go get me book on medicine! Luffy, get the first-aid kit. Everybody else fetch something! Come on Vivi, we're putting her to bed."

Everybody worked like a well-oiled machine, quickly bringing the necessary supplies. Nami laid unmoving with a wet rag over her forehead, breathing ever so slightly.

"Of all the people that had to get sick… it's the one we rely on the most…" Gian gritted. How are they going to read the Log Pose without her?

"What are we going to do?" Vivi asked.

"Right now, the only think that she can do is get some rest, eat well, and make sure she doesn't stress too much." Gian sighed "We don't have a doctor on this ship… let's just hope it's a minor fever."

"Well, food shouldn't be a problem! As the cook I will make sure Nami-san get the best nutrition she could possibly get!" Sanji replied adamantly "But how do we know if she gets better?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Gian told him, cursing his lack of medical expertise."

"H-how is this possible?!" Vivi's whimpering caused everyone to turn around. Their eyes widened as they saw what she is holding in her hands: the thermometer used to measure her temperature is at a staggering 40 degrees!

"And it's getting higher!" Gian shouted "She needs a doctor quickly! How long until we reach Alabasta?"

"With our current speed… give or take around a week…" Vivi gritted bitterly.

"There's no way we can make it in that time!" Zoro shouted.

"WAAAH! IS NAMI'S GOING TO DIE?!" Luffy and Usopp wept as they ran around in circles. Heck, even the more serious members dare not think of that idea!

"You guys! She needs rest! Quiet down!" Vivi urged.

"That's not going to be enough, her fever is getting worse by the hour." Gian huffed "There is one thing I can do, but I'll need space."

Everybody looked on curiously as Gian reached out one hand, a dim blue aura glowing around it. Before anyone realized, he pressed it to his navigator's chest as the aura flared up.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING YOU SHITTY MONSTER?!" Sanji roared.

"Be quiet!" Gian shot back; he couldn't afford to lose focus now. At first, Nami showed some slight signs of discomfort, before her features gradually softened and she looked more relaxed.

"Ok… that should do it for now…" Gian sighed, his breathing was rapid now and he paused to wipe some sweat off of his brow.

"Gian-san, what was that?" Vivi asked.

"Radiation therapy." The Kaiju-Zoan user replied "I just channeled some radiation through her body to try and curb some of the virus that's infecting her. It should stabilize her condition until we can find a doctor."

Hearing this, everyone is a bit more relieved.

"Oh good! We can save Nami then!" Luffy thought out loud.

"That certainly is incredible!" Vivi smiled.

"I guess, but it's only a temporary solution and one I can't use repeatedly at that. It also requires careful management; if I use too little it won't be enough and if I use too much I could've accidently killed her." Gian pointed out "This means we need a doctor ASAP."

"Then that was a risky move then?!" Sanji demanded.

"In situations like this, it's all we have left. I'm not going to just sit back and watch someone close to me suffer like this." Gian sighed "In the meantime, everybody do whatever you can to help hold down the fever. Let's hope we can find someone quickly."

"T-there's… no need for that…"

"Nami! / Nami-san!"

"She's cured!" Luffy cheered.

"No she isn't!" Usopp snapped.

"We… can't stop right now… Look at the newspaper…" Nami's eyes were weak and she was quite pale at this point, but she still mustered all her strength to sit up and point towards her drawer.

Carefully Vivi removed the article from its placement, and the minute she read it her eyes widened in horror.

"N-No! It can't be!"

The newspaper's headline is something of great urgency. It spoke of the growing rebellion in Alabasta, Vivi's home. The highlight being that over 300 000 people have defected to join this rebel army.

"Yes… that's right… we don't have any time left! That paper is dated from 3 days ago… so we don't even know how bad the situation is now…"

"So don't worry about me… I'm fine! I just need some rest…" Nami tried her best to smile, only to cough a little. Gian just shook his head, realizing that trying to talk her out of the idea would have to take place some other time. He motioned everybody to go help around on the ship while he made sure to check her temperature every so often. For the first time in a while, there wasn't any merriment around on the ship.

 _Later:_

Vivi's thoughts were in turmoil. Her entire country could be thrown into bloodshed in the coming days, there's simply no time to stop! But if they don't find a doctor quickly, then Nami could…

" _What am I supposed to do?"_

She knew she had to get back as soon as possible, but she can't just leave someone who's taken care of her for this long without any medical assistance!

" _I can't do anything…"_

* * *

Across the room Nami and Gian both watched her with a sad expression on their faces. They both know that the timing of her illness couldn't have come at a worse time. While Nami is still adamant on proceeding with their original plans, it seems like no one wanted to force anything.

Gian sighed and proceeded to administer another dose of radiation therapy to slow down the sickness. Since he's the only one that can do that he's been with her the most, with Sanji bringing her food as frequently as he could and everybody else coming to visit her whenever they have time, which is pretty often. Nami is currently still in stable condiditons, but she could feel herself getting worse by the minute. Soon even the radiation will not work.

"This kind of burns…" Nami groaned, rubbing her stomach after Gian was done.

"Well it's all you have, so live with it." Gian scoffed, handing her a fresh rag to cool her temperature.

"… I am going to charge you so much after I get better…"

"What else do I have left for you to take? You already tax my entire livelihood away from me." Gian stuck his tongue out, then ducked to avoid a book thrown at him.

"Try not to move so much, rest is crucial to help you recover." Gian reminded her.

"Oh, now you care…" Nami scoffed, then smiled gently "Thanks by the way. This must be so hard for everyone. I really hate being a burden like this."

"Come on, what's with all the sappy shit all of a sudden? This is just natural." Gian shrugged while peeling an apple Sanji brought earlier.

"Yeah… even so… Well, at least I'll hold out for now. Not that I want to go through more of this so-called radiation therapy…" the schedule was one every hour; it only took around 3 minutes but it was pretty uncomfortable even then.

"It's a small price to pay since we're dealing with this right now. I've actually done it a few times before. Once my little brother got sick while Goro-san and Hiroshi-san was away, and we were all out of medicine so Jet Jaguar couldn't do anything either. They were still about half a day away and the fever came down hard. At that time I remembered reading about how radiation can be used to cure certain diseases so I might as well give it a shot. It was uncomfortable for Rokuro-kun so it will be uncomfortable for you. But we managed to hold out until Goro-san got back with the medicine." Gian smiled at the memory. "And that's the story of how I lost my medical license."

"That's reassuring…" Nami sweatdropped as Gian laughed.

Vivi watched the whole thing; she noticed that everybody in the crew was trying their best to help her the best they can, even though none of them know anything about medicine. Everyone here is so close with one another, almost like a family; Gian especially was like a big brother to their patient…

Vivi smiled sadly, the choice she was about to make was difficult, but she knows it is necessary.

"Nami-san, I have a request to make…"

"Oh, what is it?"

"I know this is kind of much after you guys allowed me to stay on your ship… but right now I have to get back to Alabasta as soon as I can! I can't afford any more delays!"

The implication was not pretty. Gian was about to argue but Nami stopped him. It just so happens that everyone else also chose to visit the cabin at that point, and the look on their face was rather disappointed.

"So, in order for that to happen, we need to get you a doctor as soon as possible!"

You could hear a pin drop from the silence. Everybody's eyes slowly widened. Vivi felt herself smiling.

"That's right! Without Nami-san sailing would be difficult, right? So we need her to be better so we can get to Alabasta quickly!" at this, everyone broke into a relieved smile.

"Shishishi! That's right!" Luffy grinned.

"You almost gave me a heart attack…" Gian shook his head.

"Never thought she had it in her…" Zoro whistled.

"WWWROAAWR! Vivi-chan is so generous!" Sanji cheered.

Nami smiled weakly "I'm sorry I forced you to make a decision like this…"

"Don't be, you have nothing to worry about!"

Nami was about to reply, but was unable to as she doubled over in another coughing fit. Everybody quickly put her back to bed as they sought to find an island where there is potentially a doctor.

 _A bit later:_

"Is it just me or is it snowing much more heavily than before?" Gian shivered.

"We… must be nearing a winter island…" Nami tilted her head; her illness has gotten much more serious in the last day, even Gian's radiation therapy is having little effect now. If what she said is true, then they have to get there immediately.

"Then what are we waiting for? We have to-!" Luffy added but whatever he had to say was suddenly interrupted by a massive shape bursting out of the water. As the surf cascaded off it, the crew's eyes bugged out to hear the sound of gears shifting as the contraptions shifted open to reveal a massive ship, with what appears to be a figurehead of a hippo with a king's crown fully extended.

Then something landed on the deck of the Merry: it is revealed to be a middle-aged, rotund man wearing a furry hippo skin cloak. Underneath that layer of fir was a suit of iron armor. The man himself has a rather small head and a large jaw, his mouth covered by metal plates. The man gave a condescending look to the Strawhats, as if he was above them in every way.

"Mahahahaha! Guess I found some people who are useful!" the large man laughed.

Before the crew can react, they found themselves surrounded by a squadron of armed soldiers, each wearing a green fur coat. They pointed their rifles at the crew, daring them to make a move.

"Now, I hope you lot can cooperate with me. My name is Wapol, and I require a Eternal Pose to Drum Island. If you have one we will be taking it off your hands, thank you very much!"

"And that involves us getting held up at gunpoint… how?" Gian sweatdropped as the man continued his gloat.

"We don't know what you're talking about! The only Eternal Pose we have goes to Alabasta!" Vivi shouted.

"Who is this hippo?" Luffy tilted his head.

"What is Drum Island anyway?" Usopp asked as well.

"So you don't have an Eternal Pose to Drum then? How useless! Very well, you people look somewhat wealthy so we'll be taking all the treasure on the ship then!" Wapol snorted.

"So this is just an armed robbery then!" Gian growled.

"Call it what you will, I can take whatever I want! My Baku Baku no mi allows me to eat everything! Watch as I eat a part of the rails!"

And just like that, Wapol's iron jaws stretched to an unbelievable width. With one hard chomp he bit into the side of the Merry, tearing out a large piece of the wood with no discomfort whatsoever.

"Oi… WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO OUR SHIP?!" Luffy roared as the scene unfolded. At this point the rest of the crew can no longer stand it and retaliated. The supposed guards that were watching them couldn't stand the attack at all and soon were thrown left and right.

"I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET!" Luffy yelled as he threw himself at Wapol. However the large man simply smirked and opening his mouth again, Luffy ended up halfway inside him.

"I'm going to chew you up!" Wapol growled as he brought his jaws down. However, he did not expect his opponent to have a rubber body, and thus all it did was make Luffy angrier. With one punch, the captain sent the large man flying of the Going Merry and into the sea.

"Waaah! Wapol-sama!"

"Crap, Wapol-sama is an anchor!"

The guards all jumped into the freezing water in order to save their leader.

"We'll get you back for this, just you wait!"

"Yeah! Don't forget about us!"

"I forgot about them already." Gian snorted.

"That man… who is he?" Vivi wondered "I know I heard the name Wapol once before but I can't remember where…"

"But they mentioned some place called Drum Island… Maybe there would be a doctor there!" Sanji pointed out,

"But we have no idea where it is…" Usopp mumbled.

"Hold -*cough- on. Let me… it is! The Log is locked onto an island!" Nami told everybody before breaking off in another fit of coughing.

"Then we head there, let's go and get Nami a doctor!" Luffy grinned, and that was that.

 _Later:_

The island that they saw soon came into sight, and it indeed was a winter island. But then again, that was obvious due to the copious amounts of snow that was falling by now. The Strawhats didn't care about that; Nami's sickness is getting worse by the minute and the sooner they can find a doctor, the better.

"It's so white! Everything looks so fluffy!" Luffy noted in wonder.

"Indeed, we're so used to having the climate be what we'd expected back in East Blue we haven't seen snow for a long time." Gian noted as well.

"Stop getting distracted, we need to get people to go scout to see if this island is even inhabited or not." Zoro scolded.

However, he soon found that that is unnecessary. From the cliffs that lined the snow island, a voice rang out:

"HALT! MAKE NO MORE MOVEMENT TOWARDS LAND!"

"Looks like they found us instead." Gian pointed out as a large group of people appeared on the shoreline, brandishing firearms of all sorts.

"Excuse me, we just need a place to-" Usopp tried calling out but the group did not seem to be in the mood for any words.

"We know who you are, pirates! You are not welcome here!"

"We need a doctor right now, do you have one?" Luffy tried asking again, but at this point it's clear that the group of people were not listening.

"Hey listen here! We have a lady onboard that needs treatment right now! So if you shitheads can just move so we can find one that would be wonderful you know?" Sanji snapped, his patience was at his limit as every moment they spend stalling means Nami's condition will get worse. However, this only set off the people ashore, who promptly fire a warning shot.

"That's the only warning you'll get! Leave now!"

"We're being serious! If we don't-" Vivi tried to convince them, but they only fired another shot, this time one that came dangerously close to the princess.

"Oi! What the hell is wrong with you people firing at a lady like that?!" Sanji snarled.

"Don't just draw unwanted attention to yourself! We're trying to escort you, not deliver you back in a body bag." Gian scolded.

"But I have to do something!" Vivi shouted back urgently; it seems that the situation is quickly escalating out of control. Both sides were growing increasingly hostile, and who knows when push will turn to shove?

"Still you can't just-"

Vivi suddenly knelt to the deck of the ship in a bowing position, her head down and eyes closed.

"Please! This doesn't have to escalate to violence! But we really need a doctor right now! Please! One of our own is very sick! If you dislike our presence so much we promise we will leave immediately after our friend is cured!" She begged. This made everybody on both sides completely speechless.

It wasn't long before another body fell to the deck. Luffy himself also bowed his head in the same position. The two knelt side by side, not moving until they got a conformation.

"Luffy…" Gian whispered, then turned his fiery gaze upon the crowd

"What kind of people are you?! Letting a captain and a princess lower their heads in such a shameful position?! What else do you need to hear?!" he roared and pointed Atom Splitter towards the group. No one was going to make his captain disrespect himself, not while he's watching.

The crowd of people were stunned at the display. They remained silent for a while. Then, one person, a tall man with broad shoulders wearing a green fur-lined tunic carrying a spade-shaped blade stepped out and looked at the crew.

"You people… do you really mean what you said about only requiring a doctor?"

"The sick person is right here! We can show her to you if you still don't believe us!" Gian shouted back.

The man closed his eyes for a bit, contemplating. Then he nodded and motioned the group to back up.

"Very well, we will let you disembark. However, the situation here is a bit different. My name is Dalton, come ashore to village of Big Horn I will explain everything there.

 **A/N: Ok, that starts the Drum Island Arc. A heads up is that, for this arc, I'm using both the main canon and bits of Episode of Chopper combined together, this means some features from the movie will be there, while others are what you'd expect normally.**

 **But more importantly, I hope you enjoy the little bit of Mr. 0.5. Let's see you guys guess which Godzilla monster he is! But yeah, it's a pretty brutal scene, and it's part of why Vivi is so afraid of him, which we will get into more detail a few chapters later. As for right now, just guess what monster he is!**

 **G: Terrifying….**

 **What are you scared?**

 **G: I have nothing to fear but fear itself.**

 **I never told you about FDR….**

 **But yeah, one other thing. Since school is my main concern, my update schedule is now probably shift from 7-10 days to around 2-3 weeks. I have to focus on school naturally, so updates will be a bit slow. I'm sorry!**

 **G: Hurray for higher education...**

 **You know it.**

 **Now let's respond to reviews!**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **G: Call me Gulliver**

 **That… isn't the same thing… but glad you liked it! Yes, the significance of Little Garden will be explained in another arc, so we haven't heard the end of it yet.**

 **To tamagat:**

 **There will be, naturally. Gian still isn't as developed in his powers as he could be, so all that comes as the series progresses. Naturally more moves will show up.**

 **G: We learning every day.**

 **To anquan:**

 **Now you know.**

 **G: but can you handle the truth?**

 **To ro781727:**

 **After what happened at the beginning of this chapter, I'll let you guess what happens, do you really think he's redeemable?**

 **To Johnny Spectre:**

 **No, it is not Gigan. Gigan's counterpart will be appearing in a very important arc however, one that we should all be familiar with.**

 **To Guest:**

 **G: BRING IT ON! I LIVE FOR THIS!**

 **Why must you main Reinhardt…**

 **G: I list a bunch of other people to main, but it's him for now.**

 **Well we need a tank anyway. But I will keep that in mind.**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **I actually plan on doing those references someday, so who knows?**

 **G: oh ye of little faith**

 **To Xolsis:**

 **Something will happen once we get to Enies Lobby, you can expect that.**

 **And about the filler idea, not presently no. I generally find fillers to not contribute much (though I'm flirting with the idea of it) and considering we're far from the latest chapter (The hype) there's not much need for it. But we'll see.**

 **So that's it for now! We'll see you next time!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will go to Russia!**

 **G: Hey Putin what's up?**

.


	33. Tony Tony Chopper The Reindeer Doctor

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Song: Two Souls-Towards the Truth by fripSide (Owari no Seraph: Nagoya Kissen-hen Opening, episode 6-12)**

Big Horn is a rather small, snow covered town that was situated in the clearing of a forest at the bottom of a mountain. Dalton led them into a small hut, where he begins to tell them the situation.

"First I must apologize for the hostility earlier. We've been through a lot involving pirates in the last while so we were a bit defensive. You say you're here to seek a doctor, correct? Well then, I must apologize, but you've arrived at the worst time possible." Dalton revealed to the horror of the crew.

"You're saying… you guys don't have a doctor here?!" Vivi cried "then how could you have-"

"We did have doctors, in fact in the past this place was one that produced the finest doctors in the world." Dalton's expression flashed with anger "But that all changed when _he_ became king!"

"Who?"

"The old king of Drum Kingdom was benevolent and loved by all, but when he died and his son succeeded him, he turns out to be the complete opposite! Wapol exiled all of our doctors save for 20 of the most skilled ones, today they are known as the Isshi-20 and forced to serve only him! If any of us get sick, we'd have to pay tribute just for the Isshi-20 to come!"

"Wapol… wait a minute, wasn't he the fatass that we kicked off of our ship?" Gian remembered.

"If we knew that earlier, we would've just asked him then…" Usopp sighed.

"Don't think that would work, the guy was a jackass he wouldn't help us even if we begged." Zoro snorted.

"So, I take it you've encountered him." Dalton noted.

"Yeah… I guess it's technically treason but in our defense he did try to eat our ship." Gian told him.

"Do not worry about him, we have no love for a king who is corrupt as he. But even so, all the island's doctors are not present, and with what happened 3 months ago, there's little we can do to help." Dalton assured them.

"3 months ago?"

"Yes… about 3 months ago Drum Kingdom was under fire from a pirate known only as Blackbeard. He bombarded our shores with cannon fire, but when the king found out that he was overpowered he immediately turned tail and ran without even a thought for the citizens!" Dalton growled in anger "We've had enough of him as it is! But I must apologize once again for not doing more to help right now."

"So that's it? What else can we do? Nami-san doesn't have much time left!" Sanji shouted.

Dalton was impressed by the resolve of the crew, what they were willing to do just to save a single crewmate. It's clear that these kids were not the same kind of pirates that attacked the island 3 months ago.

"Well… there is one doctor on this island… but she's a bit of a special case."

"Why didn't you say so earlier?! We don't care if she's lost her medical license or something like that, if she knows medicine, we'll use her!" Gian shouted.

"If that's the case, then I will show you where she is." Dalton walked out of the small house and pointed to a group of Drum-shaped mountains in the distance.

"Those is the Drum Rockies. The doctor I speak of is located atop the highest peak there. She is quite an expert, but her personality is… interesting, some people have even called her a witch. Regardless, she's your best source of help right now."

"A witch… as long as she doesn't cook us that I think we can handle it." Gian mentioned "For now I think it's the best option."

And thus it was decided that Luffy, Sanji and Gian would go take Nami to find this so called doctor while Usopp and Vivi remained in the village. Zoro would be tasked with guarding the Merry with Carue. All in all it seemed like a fairly good plan, but they need to hurry, as Nami has fallen unconscious during their talk, meaning their time is reduced even further.

"I wish you all the best of luck, but be careful when scaling the mountain. It is colder than here, and there are ferocious animals around. Be especially careful around the lapahns, they are very dangerous." Dalton gave them one last bit of advice, to which the group affirmed and set off.

* * *

"It's going to get cold, so make sure Nami is covered!" Gian reminded the two others as they began the trek up the side of the mountain. Sanji, as expected, was the first to jump at the chance at carrying her on his back.

"Why would a doctor live so far away from everybody else?" Luffy wondered.

"Beats me." Sanji shrugged.

"You think the doctor would have some food at her place?" Luffy asked.

"I do not." Gian scoffed.

"But whyyyy?"

"Because I don't know? I swear you are the living definition of a person thinking with his stomach!"

Sanji suddenly paused.

"Um… what are those large white things? They're big and furry… and white."

Indeed in the distance there were a large group of white colored piles. The little group gulped as they wondered if they were large tundra predators, but upon closer inspection, it was revealed that…

"They're rabbits… Big rabbits…" Gian mumbled.

"Oh, that's good. I thought they were going to be polar bears!" Luffy breathed a sigh of relief.

However, it soon became apparent that these big rabbits are not the same cute vegetarians they were familiar with. When one little bunny came up to the group, their first thought was on how cute it was before it bared it's fangs and leapt straight at Luffy's face. The rubber boy gave a yelp and barely jumped out of the way. Luffy then angrily kicked the small baby away, but this only brought more trouble.

"Oh great… the entire family hates us now…" Gian sighed as the other rabbits glared at them and bared their teeth as well. "These must be the lapahns that Dalton-san told us about."

"We need to run! Sanji, give Nami to Luffy! The two of us are going to draw them away while Luffy breaks for the top!"

The cook nodded and did just that as the group of rabbits all screeched in unison and pounced at them. Luffy continued going higher up the mountain, as Gian and Sanji ran in a separate direction. The lapahns gave chase for a bit, but then soon stopped and smirked at them.

Then they all began to hop up and down with perfect coordination, sinister grins hanging on their faces all the while. Needless to say, it confused the 3 of them greatly.

"Gian, what's going on? You know a lot about animals right? So what are they doing?" Sanji asked.

"If I knew, I would've said so already." Replied the Kaiju-Zoan user as he watched, perplexed.

However, the motive behind the action was soon revealed, much to the horror of the 3 as they felt a soft rumble in the distance; one that gradually grew louder and more violent the closer it got to them.

The lapahns were not just bouncing around for no reason; they had caused an avalanche due to the vibrations of their jumping.

* * *

"Those rabbits are crazy! They'd throw their own lives away just to get us?!" Sanji screamed.

The wall of tumbling snow is coming in fast, its rumbles near-deafening. Luffy looked up in horror as the frozen liquid crashed towards him; normally the Gomu Gomu no mi's powers would allow him to get to safety rather easily, but with a passenger in his body that just wasn't possible.

"Everybody get behind me!" shouted Gian as he dropped down onto all fours. Seeing as the Kaiju-Zoan user appears to have a plan, Luffy and Sanji quickly dashed behind him. Gian took a deep breath, before his dorsal fins burst out of his back, charging his entire body with Atomic Energy.

" **Atom Firestorm!"** much like a normal **Atom Ray** , the large breath attack shot out of his mouth, only instead of a singular point, this attack fans out in a wide conical blast, covering a wide area in front of Gian as the snow that struck the superheated cone of radiation was melted instantly.

The heat of the blast was so hot that part of his shirt was singed, but the thing he was worried about was how taxing this move is on his stamina. It was a move he made up on the fly, and now that it's actually being applied, Gian found that he's getting way too tired to maintain it for much longer. Fortunately the avalanche began to subside. Soon it ends, and Gian collapsed into the snow. The good news is, apart from some light injuries from stray ice chunks, no one was seriously hurt.

"Wow… that was a lot more than I had bargained for." Gian panted as he tried to catch his breath "Guess I should've Partially Transformed for that."

"Great… this is going to take us longer… Get on my back I'm carrying you there." Sanji declared.

"Yeah, hold on… I should be back up soon."

Before they could proceed, the group was alerted to commotion a few feet away. Glancing up, they saw the small lapahn from before throwing its weight to try and pull out a larger rabbit. The group just sighed at this.

"You see? This is what happens when you don't consider the consequences of your actions." Gian chuckled "Here, we'll help you out." With that the 3 abled-bodied boys helped to dig out the bodies of two larger lapahns. Fortunately they were merely knocked out. A good deed done, the group returned with the goal in mind to get Nami to the doctor. But little did they know, it was going to be way tougher than they thought.

 _Soon:_

"How far away is this damn mountain?" Luffy whined as they continued to trudge towards the cliff. Nami was still on his back so movement was beginning to be difficult. More snow was beginning to fall and soon they won't be able to see very far.

"I'm sure we just have a bit more distance to go…" Gian shivered. He was able to walk a lot more now, with Sanji no longer having to carry him.

But once again their task was to be interrupted. Whizzing through the air, the crew barely managed to duck as an arrow embedded itself onto a nearby tree, narrowly skimming the top of their heads.

"Mahahaha! We found you!" hearing the annoying voice, the group turned to see the former despotic king of this country riding towards them on what appears to be a white-furred hippopotamus. On either side of him are two men, one dressed in what appears to be a jester costume and the other in a yellow tunic with his head adorned with a black afro.

"Wapol… get lost, we aren't in the mood to deal with you right now." Luffy growled.

"The nerve! Don't you fools know that my word in this country is law? And from what I heard from that traitor Dalton, the three of you are trying to see a doctor!" Wapol sneered.

"Dalton…? what did you do to him?!" Gian demanded.

"Oh, not much. All I did was teach him his place, he was my subordinate after all. I would've executed him if not for a random avalanche! But let's not talk about him right now. I forbid you all to see that witch!"

"Like Luffy said, quit stalling us and let us move on. We'll deal with you later." The kaiju-zoan user spat.

A vein grew in the tyrant's head "Are you all defying me?! You've done it now! I hereby declare a new law to be in place! Whomever ignores the king's orders will be put to death!" he sneered "Chess? Kuromarimo? Take care of these insolent peasants!"

"Gladly, Wapol-sama!" Chess, the one dressed in the jester costume revealed a bow and arrow from his back. Lining up a shot he fired straight at Luffy's head. Unfortunately for him, this arrow was soon split in half when Gian swung Atom Splitter down.

"I thought we told you, we don't want to deal with your shit right now!" he snarled as his eyes glowed their familiar amber color "If you're not gonna move, then I'm going to throw you out!" following that, Wapol felt a wave of nauseous energy emitted from the man, and his eyes widened as a translucent flash of some form of giant beast appeared behind him briefly.

"Y-you dare stand defiantly against me?! Who do you think you are you hippos?!" he put on the angriest face he could.

"W-what is this overwhelming aura?!" the other guard, Kuromarimo stammered.

The former king and his cohorts were at a loss for word, before a slight chuckle sounded.

* * *

"Mushushushushu… Someone seems to think they're more than what they are!"

Wapol's face instantly dissolved into a glad one "Ah, Ani-chan! This group of people think they can just ignore me like this!"

A fourth figure stepped out from behind the hippopotamus. Unlike the other two guards, this man wore an attire similar to that of a noble. He was also much taller, standing at least a foot higher than Chess and Kuromarimo. A condescending sneer covered his face, where a black eyemask slightly obscured his features. Most notably, his pink colored hair was the exact shape of a mushroom; he was even adorned with mushroom shoulder pads.

"I am Musshuru, elder brother of King Wapol. And in this land, all who do not obey will be executed."

"Luffy, we should just leave." Sanji suggested "There's no use talking to these shitheads."

"Then in that case, we will no longer offer you any mercy." Musshuru beckoned with one hand. Chess and Kuromarimo grinned with malice as they prepared to attack. Chess drew back his bow and fired another volley of arrows, while Kuromarimo ripped out patches of his…hair… and used that as a projectile.

"Run for it!" Luffy yelled as they ran further and further uphill. They were so close right now, just a bit further and they will reach the peak! The projectiles were whizzing past their heads so closely, but they managed to avoid them, at least until Wapol's elder brother stepped up.

"Mushushushushu! You aren't escaping!" Musshuru chortled, before lowering his head "This next attack will make you drop to your knees! **Shade Dance!"**

Suddenly purple colored energy bullets sprayed out of the man's hair in a wide cone, akin to a machine gun. Because it was getting harder and harder to move in the snow, Luffy wasn't able to move out of the way in time. Just when the bullets seemed like they were about to strike Nami, Gian and Sanji leapt in the path of the bullets as to prevent them from getting hit. Both men grunted in pain as the projectiles shredded into them. Seeing this Musshuru's grin only grew larger; the true effects of his attack will soon take place.

Gian and Sanji both glared at the despot's cohorts, until their vision gradually became blurry. To their shock a wave of nausea washed over them and it felt like as if they could hardly stand.

"W-what the hell did you do to us?!"

"Mushushushu! Do the effects of my Noko Noko no mi's spores feel good?" the mushroom like man cackled.

"S-spores? Y-you bastard… you poisoned us?!" Sanji shouted.

"Mushushushushu, you catch on quickly. That's right! The Noko Noko no mi allows me to produce spores so toxic, it would kill you within minutes! Unfortunately for me, that **Shade Dance** I threw at you only had a rather small amounts of it, not enough to kill you fast enough. But no matter! By now paralysis should begin to set in, and in another 10 minutes you'd be dead!" Musshuru cackled.

"You scum! I won't forgive you for this!" Luffy snarled as he witnessed his two nakama drop to their knees. If the situation wasn't so desperate, he would've fought back almost immediately.

"Excellent, ani-chan! Now we will-"

Wapol wasn't able to finish as a large white shape suddenly tackled him off of his mount. His bodyguards in turn were also knocked to the ground. It turns out that a horde of Lapahns from before were the attackers. One particular one; the little rabbit they helped out earlier, turned to them and gave the best smile it could. Shouts and curses were heard as Wapol and his cohorts were forced to combat the animals

"And who said * **wheeze** * that there's no more gratitude in the world?" Gian chuckled "We just have * **cough*** a bit more to go." Indeed, they could now see the tallest peak of the Drum Rockies.

"It's so hard… to move now…" Sanji wheezed. While Gian's Goji-Goii no mi managed to combat the destructive poison, Sanji was not as fortunate. It seems that Musshuru wasn't lying when he said how deadly the poisonous spores were. Sanji could hardly stand now, and a slight river of blood was trickling out of the corner of his mouth.

"Then I'll carry you… Come on…" Gian gritted. Even with his super regeneration, this poison was ravaging his body enough that it was getting difficult for him to move as well. While he wouldn't place it quite as deadly as H2S, it was definitely much more potent than Don Krieg's MH5. Added in the increasingly cold air the closer they get, even he would find it hard-pressed to make it out without something bad happening.

However, there was one last hurdle to overcome:

"We have to go all the way up there!" Luffy cried. Due to the unique shape, the cliff side of the tallest mountain was an almost vertical shot upwards. The problem was, two of the members could no longer scale the mountain, as the poison has now made them very weak. Gian was tipping over frequently, while Sanji was now unconscious.

"Luffy… go on ahead…" Gian muttered weakly.

Luffy growled and wrapped his arms around his two nakama, he was going to get them all up there, one way or another. With that he began to climb, digging his fingers into the rock as much as he can. Gian shook his head at the headstrong nature of his captain, and instead focused on doing another important task: applying radiation therapy to Sanji in an attempt to stop some of the spores' deadly toxins. The cook coughed violently when the radiation coursed through his body, even heaving up some blood. It was becoming harder to breathe.

"Sorry Sanji… Just bear with us… for now…"

* * *

Luffy gritted his teeth as he climbed higher and higher; his fingernails and hands were now cracked and bleeding. Many times he had almost fallen off but hung on due to sheer determination and willpower. By now all 3 of his passengers were motionless; Gian having expended too much energy in order to try and keep Sanji alive for a bit longer.

Finally they were at the top of the mountain. Luffy smiled weakly as he finally reached the place of the supposed witch doctor. He stumbled forward, before falling face first into the snow. The last thing he saw before blacking out was a tall human shaped figure walking towards him from the door.

 _Much later:_

* _blink_

 _*blink_

The room was dark, lit only by a few candles. Gian tried to raise his head and managed to do so with some difficulty. He noticed that he was lying on a soft bed, covered by a warm blanket. Looking around more he noticed that the walls were made of stone.

" _Did we make it?"_

He also noticed that he was bandaged in some places; he has never needed bandages before due to his healing factor so it was strange to actually be wearing them. Deciding to go investigate, Gian attempted to get out of the bed, even though his body was sore beyond belief.

"It seems that the stories are as impressive as people claim them to be." a voice he hadn't heard before sounded "The Goji Goji no mi's regeneration really is a miracle."

Looking up blearily, Gian noticed a woman standing by the door. She seemed to be around 20 something years old, if the shape of her legs and figure were anything to say. She wore rather colorful pants a short t-shirt that exposed her midriff, along with a flame-patterned blazer. In her hand was a bottle of sake, it seems that she is fond of the drink.

"I assume, you are the one that helped us. Thank you, we really-" that was said before Gian caught a glimpse of her face, and his eyes promptly popped out of their sockets and his jaw struck the ground and he let out a scream of disbelief. The reason for this was that this woman, although having the _body_ of a young woman, had the face that was more fitting on somebody's grandmother. Her hair was long and she was wearing a pair of sunglasses, but there was no mistaking the elderly appearance.

"WHAT IN THE HOLY NAME OF JEBUS?!"

"Back to high spirits already I see, I really did underestimate the-"

"HOW?! HOW IS THIS EVEN BIOLOGICALLY POSSIBLE?!"

"… I assume that you're wondering where-"

"HAD SCIENCE GONE TOO FAR?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOURSELF?! IT'S LIKE YOU PUT BOTOX-"

"WILL YOU LET ME FINISH?!" the strange woman snapped and delivered a stomp kick to Gian's face, thus slamming him into the wall and shutting him up "Honestly, it's like you've never seen another woman before."

"I've seen women, just not a chimera between a young lady and an old hag…" Gian grumbled before being subjected to another kick.

"For someone so young, you're quite rude." The lady sniffed "I'll have you know that I'm only 139 years old."

"… I'm don't even have words for that."

"Anyways… the four of you are quite tenacious. When I found you guys slumped outside my castle I could hardly believe the state you are in. adding to the fact that the straw hat boy apparently scaled the cliff with only his bare hands. Moreso, you and that blond are quite lucky to survive a poison of Musshuru's caliber."

"Wait… what is going on? Who are you? Where are my friends?" Gian asked.

"Right, I forgot to tell you about that. My name is Kureha, but you can call me Doctorine. Your friends are all in other rooms within the castle, and they should be resting right now. I've gotta say, the four of you are quite lucky."

"So are they ok?" Gian asked concerned.

"The straw hat boy and the blond are still resting. The blond in particular has suffered through quite a lot, but I gave him the antidote to Musshuru's spores and he's in stable conditions now. I was going to do the same to you, but it turns out you no longer needed it. As for the girl, she's resting in the room outside. You guys are very lucky to bring her here, if delayed by another day or so even I could not cure her sickness." Kureha replied.

"I thank you for helping us in our time of need." Gian bowed with gratitude "May I go see my friends?"

"Well, you look well enough now. Go ahead, she's just outside this room. Chopper has already given her the medicine and she will be fine now." The old woman motioned.

Gian nodded before stepping out of the room. Indeed Nami was now sitting up in the bed she was confined to, looking much better than before as more color has returned to her cheeks. Gian noticed that a small brown-furred animal was attempting to hide behind a wall, except that instead of hiding most of its body it was hiding the wrong way. Gian was about to ask when the creature spotted him and let out a yelp before disappearing down the hall.

" _Guess I'll ask about it later"_ Gian thought before turning to Nami "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah… Dr. Kureha is quite talented. Her medicine has cured me completely."

"The credit isn't mine alone. Chopper was the one that made it, I merely gave him instructions." Kureha brushed it off. "However, what you contracted was an extremely rare disease that's carried by a species of tick known as the Kestia. Once bitten by it, the virus becomes increasingly harder to cure, until death happens 5 days later. The tick is thought to have become extinct due to the climate these days not warm enough to support it nowadays but apparently traces of it still remained elsewhere."

Nami and Gian both grimaced as they figured out that the jungle-like climate of Little Garden just happens to have such a pest.

"Right now you should rest. You may be in the clear but you are still weak from it. I'll let Chopper give you more medicine as soon as he's-"

"HELP MEEEEE!"

* * *

A loud series of crashes sounded as the door burst open and the small brown animal from before ran out with a terrified expression on his face. It is revealed it was a small bipedal reindeer with a blue nose wearing red pants and a large pink hat. Clinging to him was none other than Luffy and Sanji, apparently feeling better as well.

"It's an animal! We can eat it!" and of course, Luffy's mind was on this.

"Wait, Luffy I have to cook it first!" Sanji reminded him

The two then blinked once they entered the room.

"Huh? Nami!" Luffy realized.

"Now you two notice?!" Gian facepalmed.

The two broke off into a smile as they realize that the navigator has healed.

"Hurray! Nami is well again!"

"Just wait here Nami-san! I'll cook up some venison for you to eat!" Sanji announced, much to the horror of the small animal.

Thus began another rather comical chase scene around the castle. The little reindeer was screaming bloody murder as the two pirates hung onto him like barnacles on a ship. Everyone else remaining had no idea why that happened.

"That was Chopper. He's my student." Dr. Kureha sighed.

"I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't that." Gian shrugged.

"Chopper is a blue-nosed reindeer who's eaten the Hito-Hito no mi, it allowed him to talk like a human would and gave him the intelligence of one as well."

"So that's how he was able to administer all those medical techniques." Nami realized.

The door opened again, once again revealing the little reindeer, somehow absent of the presence of the two boys from before.

"Are you feeling better? Doctorine's medicine is effective in curing the disease but you will still require rest." Chopper notified them.

"You've been looking after me all this time have you?" Nami asked kindly "Thank you for that, you are a great doctor and-"

"SHUT UP!" Chopper suddenly cried out "I DON'T NEED ANY THANKS FROM A HUMAN you idiot~ hehe… STUPID… hehehe~" this display of ungratefulness would've been more convincing had the little reindeer not broken off into periodical fits of giggles and doing little dances.

" _He's the kind that's bad at hiding emotions huh…"_ Nami sweatdropped.

During that time Chopper suddenly found himself picked up from the ground. Letting out a squeak of surprise he realized that the other man in the room had lifted him up.

"Oh my god, you are so cute! You're so fluffy as well!" Gian swooned as he swung the little deer back and forth.

"W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! PUT ME DOWN! SAYING THINGS LIKE THAT WON'T MAKE ME HAPPY YOU KNOW?!" Chopper once again began waving his arms around and did another little dance.

"I don't care, I'm going to hug you forever~!" Gian smiled. The other two women in the room just shook their heads at the sudden display.

"You two are pirates, right?" Chopper then asked.

"Yup, the two of us along with those two other guys from earlier. The kid with the Straw hat and the bottomless pit for a stomach is our captain, the blond is our cook." Gian told him.

"Then you guys have a flag, right?"

"It's on the ship, it's the shape of a skull with our captain's hat on it." Nami answered, before an idea suddenly popped into her head.

"Hey, how would you like to come with us? We sure could use a doctor aboard!"

Chopper froze upon hearing that, and a discouraged expression lit his face.

"No! I cannot do that! It's impossible!"

"Come on! There's nothing to worry about! I'm sure if we explain it to Doctor Kureha here she'd be willing to! And then we can be together forever!" Gian grinned and hugged the little reindeer tighter.

"No! I can't leave! The humans are scared of me and they think that I'm a monster! I'm sorry, but I just can't!" wriggling out of Gian's grasp, Chopper then ran out the door. Dr. Kureha sighed when she witnessed this.

"You kids think this is so simple, don't you?" Kureha sighed and took a swig from her bottle.

"Ok… the execution was a bit shoddy, but we really mean it. It would be a blast if he could come. And don't get me started on Luffy! If he was in the room right now he would be the first to welcome him to the crew, heck he'd suggest it before all of us!" Gian said.

"Yes, we'll treat him just like any other nakama." Nami mentioned as well.

"Nakama huh? You two have no idea how much that word means to him…" the witch retorted. This piqued the interest of the two.

"Yes, that's right. Despite what you see here, Chopper is a very lonely individual. However, one person was able to get through to him and show him what true friendship means. While others feared and treated him with disdain, this man looked past that and saw him as something more akin to a son. But he is long gone, and with it the hole in Chopper's heart returned. His name is Dr. Hiluluk, and he was a quack doctor that lived here many, many years ago."

* * *

 **Flashback:**

 _The reindeer that eventually became Tony Tony Chopper was just a small reindeer calf like any other, with the exception of his blue nose, a nose the color of a blueberry. Unfortunately this was enough for the rest of his herd to see him differently and treat him like an outcast. This only worsened when one day, the little reindeer ate a strange fruit: the Hito Hito no Mi. Gaining human-like intelligence, Chopper fully realized that his herd has now ostracized him from the rest of the group. With this in mind, Chopper left the herd intending to live on his own, but his pain would not be the last._

" _What the hell is that thing?! Is it the abominable snowman?!"_

 _Chopper soon found out that his new abilities also included being able to transform into a more human-like form. With this in mind he attempted to reach out to the natives of Drum Island. This turned out to be a tragic mistake, one that Chopper still bears the wounds to from their gunfire. But soon he will find that not all humans are the same._

" _What are you supposed to be?"_

 _Chopper, injured and bleeding, bellowed angrily and swung a fist towards one particular man, sending him tumbling into the snow. The man let out a yelp of surprise as he landed and watched with wide eyes as the reindeer bellowed again and attempted to reach him. In his mind he realized how much this fellow has gone through. As Chopper came at him again, the strange man did something he did not expect: shed every ounce of clothing he has._

" _Wait! Be at ease! I promise I will not shoot you!" the man yelled out, arms raised in the air._

" _You see? I have no weapons! I will keep my word and not harm you at all!"_

 _Chopper would have said something, but his vision grew blurry due to blood loss, and he fainted into the snow._

 _When he next awoke, he realized he was inside a cave. The inside was well lit and cozy, and as Chopper looked around he saw that there were multiple beakers laid out on a table, and a large black pirate flag hanging on the wall with a Jolly Roger of a skull and Sakura petals floating around it. On the stand beside his bed he saw a loaf of bread a warm glass of milk. His wounds have been bandaged up and no longer hurt as much._

 _He saw the old man dozing off by his desk, and, figuring he won't wake up anytime soon, got out of bed and went to get the bread. Biting into it he hasn't realized how hungry he was. The full blow of emotions soon hit him as he realized that this kind man had treated his wounds and left him some food. Tears streamed down his face as he ate._

 _Chopper later found out that the middle-aged man is named Dr. Hiluluk. He is a local doctor of Drum Kingdom, although his methods and results have been… less than stellar. To say that the quack doctor was surprised that the little reindeer could talk like a human was an understatement, but when he heard the explanation for it he brushed it off and treated it like any ordinary thing. Dr. Hiluluk was a strange individual himself, from his clover-shaped hair to his long black coat and spotted pants, along with his eccentric personality. He was the one that gave him his name, after the fact that his horns can chop down trees. Chopper thought it was a weird reason, but felt warm inside when it was given to him._

 _But most importantly Hiluluk gave Chopper the biggest life lesson of all._

" _Have I once told you this story? Once there was a man from a far out kingdom, his heart is weak and it was believed he had not long to live. One day the man travelled far, far up a mountain, until he arrived at a clearing full of cherry blossom trees! In that moment, the man felt his chest lighten for the first time in his life! And then, he heard the trees speak to him, do you know what they said?"_

 _Chopper shook his head, listening to the story with wonder in his eyes and giving it his full attention._

" _They said: "go on now, you are healed!" That's right! This man, who has a supposedly incurable disease, has been cured by a miracle…! No! Not a miracle! Something in his heart must have triggered his recovery after seeing the cherry blossoms! This means that there is no such thing as an incurable disease in the world!"_

" _Wow…" Chopper was blown away by this story._

" _I will save this kingdom as a doctor, that's why I've raised this flag against all diseases!" Hiluluk boasted, pointing to the pirate flag on his wall. "The skull is the symbol of defying all odds! Fitting for me to fight diseases like a pirate, no?"_

 _Being a doctor in Wapol's Drum Kingdom was the worst position you can possibly have right now. The tyrant king executed or exiled all of them, save for 20. However, Dr. Hiluluk was one of the free ones, one that does not listen to the despot. And after such a story, Chopper was inspired by this eccentric man and began supporting his endeavors. Unfortunately, he didn't realize that Hiluluk's supposed cures never really worked. More often times than not the duo have been chased around by angry patients. Despite this, the two forged a strong bond together. The quack doctor even gave Chopper his big pink hat, a present that Chopper forever cherished._

" _Look how magnificent the sea is, Chopper!" Hiluluk stated as the two of them watched the ocean one day "Out there, there are many, many islands with people on them. One day, you should set out to sea yourself!"_

" _Really?"_

" _Yup! For once you're out there, you will see just how small your troubles are! To the sea, this island is only this big!" Hiluluk made a circle with his fingers the size of a penny. "Wait… that's not right, it is even smaller!"_

" _Eheheheheh!" the two of them laughed together._

 _However, despite all the good times the two shared, Dr. Hiluluk hid a terrible secret from his surrogate son. The quack doctor has been diagnosed with disease that truly is incurable; even his friend Kureha had been unable to find a cure. One year had passed since Chopper came into his life, and he was forced to make a decision._

" _There… your wounds have all headed now, try not to get hurt again…" Hiluluk mumbled somewhat absentmindedly._

" _Thank you Doctor!" Chopper beamed._

" _Then take care of yourself then, stay safe, I don't have to look after you anymore. Now get out, I have research to do." The doctor turned away._

 _It took Chopper a few seconds to get the point, but when he finally understood what he meant, it was as if the entire world crashed down on him._

" _Doctor! Please let me stay! I promise I won't cause any trouble for you! I'll make you breakfast! I'll do the cleaning! I'll even give you back rubs every day! Just let me back in, please!" he begged from out the door. Inside, Hiluluk was forcing himself not to usher his son back inside, even as a large part of him was basically screaming for him to do so. Chopper was far too innocent to know death, and knowing his fate, it was something he was not willing for the little deer to see._

" _I don't have any friends… you're the only one I've got…" the reindeer wept._

 _A sudden crash made him jolt out of his stupor in a panic, and as Dr. Hiluluk opened the door hastily, he was greeted by the smiling face of Chopper as blood streamed down his face. A tree was snapped in half not far from him._

" _hehe… look Doctor… I'm hurt again! I need you to bandage me up again!"_

 _*_ ** _BANG!_**

 _Tears welled up inside Chopper's eyes as the bullet grazed past him._

" _GET AWAY FROM ME! DON'T YOU SEE I DON'T WANT YOU ANYMORE?! NEVER COME BACK HERE AGAIN! DO WHATEVER YOU WANT FROM NOW ON!" the quack doctor screamed and fired more shots._

" _DOCTORRR WHY?" Chopper cried as he ran off. Hiluluk looked on expressionless until the little reindeer disappeared from sight. Then, as he closed the door, he immediately collapsed to the ground and bawled out all of his sorrow and begged for Chopper's forgiveness._

 _However, all secrets must come out eventually, and this one was no different. Chopper soon overheard from the Doctor's colleague that he will die very soon, and decided he will do everything to save him. Flipping through an old medicine book, he soon discovered something that could perhaps help! Knowing this he set off into the wilderness; he will do anything to save his adopted father…_

 _The door to Hiluluk's cave suddenly opened, the doctor's eyes widened to the size of saucers as he realized who it was._

" _C-Chopper…?"_

 _The little reindeer looked like he had been crushed by an avalanche. His body was bruised and torn, even worse so than a year ago. One of his horns has snapped off, and one of his legs now hung loosely, the bones broken…_

 _Gingerly the little reindeer raised a hoof, revealing a large purple mushroom clasped within it._

" _I found the mushroom…"_

" _T-the amiudake... you got it for me…?"_

" _It's medicine… it will help you survive… please survive, doctor!" Chopper gave the best smile he could in his condition "I want to become a doctor one day… just like you…! Will you… teach me?"_

 _In that moment the doctor could no longer hold it in. He immediately went over and embraced his adopted son, tears overflowing his eyes._

" _Of course I will! You will be the kindest doctor ever known…!"_

 _But it was not to be._

" _MAHAHAHA! YOU OLD FOOL! YOU CRAZY IDIOT!" Wapol laughed with contempt as the old quack doctor walked straight into his trap. The idea was genius! By lying that the Isshi-20 were all sick, at least one of remaining rogue doctors that were a threat to his rule would show up! That hag Kureha was too smart to be fooled by this, he will have to deal with her some other way, but this old man? He hasn't got a clue!_

" _The Isshi-20, they were ok after all?" The quack doctor muttered. He was faced with a battalion of soldiers, all pointing guns at him._

" _Of course they are! Only a hippo like you would be stupid enough to actually believe that!"_

" _I'm so glad… they are safe… I thought the country would be in danger!" Upon hearing this the Isshi-20. Seeing somebody show this much concern for them, even though it was clear that it was a trap…_

" _What a joke! Even if the country was in danger, why would anyone ask you to help?" Wapol mocked him "Everybody, prepare to shoot this rebel!"_

" _There's no need for that, I won't be killed by the like of you!" the doctor snorted._

" _What was that?!" the despot king shouted._

 _Hiluluk only smirked and brought out a cup of clear liquid._

" _Let me ask all of you this: When does a man die? When he is shot by a pistol? No! When he contracts a fatal disease? No! When he eats a poisonous mushroom?" No! A man dies when he is forgotten!" he declared as he raised the cup._

 _The truth is that the mushroom that Chopper gave him was not an antidote at all, but a toxic one that guarantees that Hiluluk will die, if he wouldn't already. Seeing the kind gesture, and knowing that he doesn't have long to live anyways, Dr. Hiluluk accepted the gesture. The last thing he wanted to see is Chopper discovering the truth of what he has done._

" _Even when my life ends, the dreams of this country will live on! That's why one day, the ailing hearts of everyone here will be cured!" he then noticed something was amiss._

" _Dalton-kun, why are you crying?" he addressed the green-clad guard._

" _Do you really think, that can happen to this country?" Dalton asked through tears._

 _The quack doctor only chuckled at this "Of course, as long as someone inherits your will…" he then remembered one more thing he must address._

" _A monster will be coming here soon. He is my son, please do not hurt him." He smiled as he put the cup to his lips. In the last moments of his life, Hiluluk realized he truly has no regrets._

" _Don't worry Chopper, your mushroom won't be what kills me..." He thought as he gulped the whole thing down._

" _This has truly been a wonderful life! Thank you Chopper! You are going to be a fine doctor!" was the last thing Dr. Hiluluk shouted to the heavens before his failed experiment detonated in his bowels, covering the spot where he sat in a large cloud of smoke. When the smoke cleared, the doctor's body was gone; only his hat remains as it tumbled towards one little reindeer._

 _When Chopper found out the truth from Dr. Kureha, he immediately pushed his guilt-filled body as far as he could to see his father figure one last time. It was too late however, and as tears cascaded off his bandaged face he heard one sound that made his blood boil._

" _Mahahaha! What a dumbass! He went and blew himself up!" Wapol cackled at the demise._

 _With an angry roar Chopper reared up in his hybrid form and charged forward, wanting nothing more than to pound the fat king's face in for that. But he was soon intercepted by a large shape and knocked to the ground. Looking up, he saw Dalton holding him down, his body in the shape of a large bison hybrid._

" _Please stop…" he begged as Chopper struggled in his grasp. However, Chopper soon paused as he felt liquid fall onto his face. Looking up he saw Dalton's tears flowing freely._

" _If the reason you are angry is because he laughed at his death, then I apologize! But you can't do anything to him! Please, I beg of you, do not become another sacrifice for this country!"_

 _Chopper had no choice but to leave with the Doctor's hat._

 _After this incident, Drum Kingdom's situation did not seem to get better. In light of Hiluluk's courage, Dalton openly defied the king, only to be defeated and nearly killed. He later returned to working under him after being forced to apologize, albeit with hate deep in his heart._

 _However, Chopper still had one thing to do._

 _Dr. Kureha did not know what to expect when she saw the little reindeer bawling his eyes out while waving a pirate flag in front of her house, but she could guess the reason. Before his death, the quack doctor had asked her to teach Chopper the ways of medicine in hopes of turning him into a doctor as well. And this is just what he was here to ask._

" _Doctor! Please make me a doctor!" Chopper cried as he waved the flag back and forth "I'll do anything! I'll find a miracle cure! I'll become a doctor that can cure any disease! I'll become a doctor that will cure an entire country! Because…! Because there's no disease in this world that can't be cured!"_

 _Kureha closed her eyes, deep down she sympathized greatly with the little deer. It was with this in mind that she made her decision._

" _If you call me Doctorine, then we will get started."_

 _From that day forth, Chopper began studying medicine under the tutelage of the witch. Although she was a strict teacher, Chopper's skills in medicine were almost natural. Kureha would never admit it, but she was proud of how fast her student was learning. It seems that Chopper really can become a doctor that can cure all diseases!_

 **Flashback end:**

Gian and Nami were speechless from the story. For someone so young, Chopper has been through things all too familiar to the rest of them, except in this case it could be stated as worse!

"So you see, it's difficult to get through to him. I'm not opposed to you lot taking him with you, but be aware convincing him would be difficult." Kureha sighed and took another sip from her sake bottle.

Before either of them could say anything, Chopper burst back into the room, urgency in his voice.

"Doctorine! We have trouble! Wapol has returned!"

 **A/N: Yeah… This took a bit… I originally planned for this to be released last week, on the 13** **th** **to be precise, because it was my birthday and I wanted to give you all a gift. But that plan kinda sank when the exams started hitting the scene so I had no choice but to delay it.**

 **G: CURSE YOU ACHIEVEMENT TESTS THAT HAVE NO BASIS IN ACTUAL LIFE!**

 **I know… but it's here now! There's not really much to say, other than I had to put Chopper's backstory in because it's straight up the saddest of all of them, Robin's perhaps tying with it. On a side note, Chopper's here! I finally got around to this part and it feels great!**

 **G: Ah, so cute…. But wait… what does my woman have in her past that I do not know about?  
**

 **Oh you poor, innocent, soul. You're in for a surprise.**

 **I hope to get the next update out by Halloween, but no promises there because when you're my age, Halloween is not so much about trick-or-treating but more about going to parties and there's that…**

 **G: Also he has more exams, but more importantly he's too busy Jojo posing and hyping up RWBY Vol. 4…**

 **Oh, fanbases are a blessing and a curse… Speaking of which, in honor of Vol. 4 dropping this weekend, I do have a RWBY fanfiction in the works right now. It involves an OC team I created but the story has not been fleshed out yet. Perhaps it will be uploaded the end of the week but I don't know.**

 **Responses to reviews:**

 **To FourthWallBreaker:**

 **IT'S TERRIBLE. Well not really, because there's a lot of fun stuff going on BUT STILL!**

 **Glad the reception of Mr. 0.5 is what I wanted it to be… at least to some people. It was kind of what I was aiming for.**

 **To anquan:**

 **If I can ever conjure up a scenario where Pacific Rim Kaiju can show up here, I will do that. I actually hope I can.**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **Huh… I thought I'd be better at leaking stuff… guess I have lots to learn.**

 **To haruaji11:**

 **Yeah, this series is going to be a bit more violent, for better or for worse. I like One Piece's general lightheartedness and lack of death but for this story it helps build up some characters (plus some of them aren't that important anyways so killing them off really don't matter much).**

 **To tamagat:**

 **Death knows no bounds. The whole cannibalism thing was the basis of how I made Mr. 0.5, not to mention Baragon's voracious nature in its first appearance kinda made me want to make a character more beast than human.**

 **I don't remember that part from the movie… might have to rewatch it.**

 **To Chance Green G King:**

 **WE HAVE A WINNER PEOPLE!**

 **I guess it was kind of obvious later on but meh, Godzilla fans would be able to figure it out pretty easily.**

 **Also I've read of a few chapters of it, haven't really touched it lately, but I might pick it up again soon.**

 **To Pokemonking0924:**

 **Next chapter should be interesting for you then.**

 **To Matt:**

 **He's here! Everyone party!**

 **To Guest:**

 **Why not all?**

 **Wait…**

 **Hold on…**

 **Where is he even? He's being awfully quiet this time around…**

 **To MUTO TOHO:**

 **I second this decision! Somebody! DO IT! JUST! DO! IT! DON'T LET YOUR DREAMS BE DREAMS!**

 **And that's it for this chapter! I'll see you next time!**

…

…

 **Ok! Where the hell is that guy? Gian! Gian?! Why have you not said anything this entire review?!**

 ***noise in the distance**

 **G: SO NO CHI NO SADAMEEEEE! JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOJOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**

 **Oh… right… that….**

 **Yeah that shit's addicting…**

 **We'll see you next time.**

 **Leave a review and Gian will turn his hairstyle in to Josuke's!**

 **G: PLEASE! THAT IS OF UPMOST IMPORTANCE! REVIEW THIS MAN SO MY DREAMS CAN COME TRUE!**


	34. Cherry blossoms in the snow

**aDisclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Song: Two Souls-Towards the Truth by fripSide (Owari no Seraph: Nagoya Kissen-hen Opening, episode 6-12)**

"To think he'd get here so soon…" Kureha muttered and prepared to head out. Wapol definitely came back for his castle that much was clear. Kureha was no stranger to his tyranny. Everything Hiluluk fought for will cease to exist if Wapol regains his power. Chopper had already raced out to confront the tyrant and she was about to follow. However, she soon noticed Gian was already ahead of her. By now, Luffy and Sanji had returned to the room, and after hearing the explanation from Nami naturally wanted to help as well.

"So Wapol's coming here? Then that means the mushroom bastard is there too then! Good, I've been meaning to get back at him for attacking us while we're defenseless." Gian growled as he hoisted Atom Splitter onto his shoulder.

"I know I'd underestimated how fast the Goji Goji no mi can heal its user, but I didn't expect you'd be ready to fight just after taking a dose of Musshuru's spores." Kureha sighed "Are you sure you're at 100% right now?"

"Even if I'm not, I ain't letting him off the hook. Also, how do you know about my Kaiju-Zoan? I don't recall telling you about it."

"Oh please, I'm a doctor. We are familiar with all kinds of Devil Fruits, even Kaiju-Zoans. The Goji Goji no mi's healing property is something medical practitioners of many countries have tried to replicate; some believe it to be the basis for an immortality concoction. Of course, none of them have ever succeeded, but it has been documented nonetheless." Kureha responded. She sighed before taking another swig of sake.

"I suppose if you are adamant in fighting Musshuru I can't exactly stop you. I will give you advice on how to beat him though. His spore, though toxic, will be rendered useless if exposed to fire or any form of searing heat. It was because of this that the old king once banished him to the Land of Fire; Musshuru is truly a venomous creature. His spores made him completely disregard the rest of the Kingdom's citizens."

"Heat and fire, huh? I must be the luckiest man on the Grand Line because I'm packing both!" Gian grinned. That newly learned knowledge just gave him an edge in the fight. With that in mind he exited as well.

"Wapol! I'm gonna kick your ass!" Luffy shouted and raced out as well.

Sanji was about to follow until he found himself stopped by the witch.

"But I can fight too!" he protested.

"In your natural state perhaps" Kureha sighed "But out of the 3 of you, you were by far the most critical. You have no healing factor and such the poison has weakened you more than the Kaiju-Zoan user." Sanji tried to assure her that he was going to be fine, only to be stomped into the ground, basically the Doctor's idea of forcing him to get more rest.

 _Later:_

"I've come to reclaim my castle!" Wapol announced from outside. Those rabbits sure were a nuisance, but nothing that a great king like him can't solve! The tyrant glanced around; he was home at last! As soon as he reestablishes himself as the rightful ruler of this country he is going to lay down some laws on the disobedient citizens of Drum. They think they can just do away with him? They have to be punished for that! His mood soured however, when his eyes were laid upon the billowing flag that now hung above his castle.

"What the?! What is that?! Why is that thing in place of the Drum flag?!" Wapol demanded. The reason for this is due to the simple fact that his old flag was now replaced by Hiluluk's pirate flag. The sight infuriated him to no end.

"It's my flag, is it wrong for me to decorate my castle?" Kureha snorted as she walked out of the door.

"Y-Your castle?! You bitch! I'll kill you for your insolence!" Wapol shrieked "Chess, Kuromarimo! Get rid of her!"

"With pleasure Wapol-sama!" the two henchmen grinned and rushed at the witch. However, a sudden impact knocked both of them backwards.

"The only one that needs to be rid of is you Wapol!" Chopper snarled, his form is now that of a regular reindeer, fury in his eyes.

"What's this? The monster from all those years ago?"

"My, my, there certainly seems to be a lot more trouble within the kingdom since I left, brother." Musshuru grunted.

"So… it's true, he really did bring you back…" Kureha snarled at the sight of the mushroom-like man.

"What's with that look? After all, I was the one that brought you so many of your patients! Mushushushu!" the man cackled, clearly unconcerned about the lives he's poisoned and earning him another raged filled look from the two doctors.

"Don't you see? I was meant to come back to this kingdom as its rightful owner! Now step aside, or I'll blow you to pieces!" Wapol laughed triumphantly, that is, until a flying fist smashed into his face and sent him tumbling back. Beside him, his brother let out a gasp before also being sent flying by a kick to the stomach.

"You're the one that's going to get beaten up!" Luffy shouted as he cracked his knuckles.

"You… you survived the poison?!" Musshuru's eyes widened as he saw Gian rise up and glare at him "Of course… that witch must have given you the antidote…" he muttered darkly.

Needless to say, the two bodyguards were enraged to see their king and second in command handled in such a fashion. Chess and Kuromarimo rushed forward to punish the perpetrators, only to receive a black leg in the face.

"Stay out of this, you small fry…" Sanji muttered as he lit a cigar "Luffy, Gian, go give them what they deserve. I'll join-" he never finished at Kureha stomped him into the snow.

"I told you to go recover!" she snapped at the cook.

"I think you just did more damage to him than all of them combined…" Gian sweatdropped at the scene.

"Yeah… Doctorine's methods are a bit crazy sometimes…" Chopper sighed. This was something he's witnessed more than enough times.

"More rebels trying to stand in my way… I'll get rid of all of you then!" Wapol howled as he gnashed his teeth.

"Doctor once tried to save this country, I won't let you harm it any longer!" Chopper shouted and charged forwards. But before he could reach him, something black and furry suddenly stuck to his fur. He looked up to see Kuromarimo grinning as he literally ripped a chunk of his hair out, then using it as a projectile. As it piled up, Chopper found the increased weight gradually slowing his charge. Soon he was unable to move.

"We'll deal with this animal Wapol-sama, Musshuru-sama!" Chess answered before lining up an arrow. This time, the arrowhead was lit ablaze. Chopper's eyes widened as he realized the intent. The jester-like man grinned savagely before shooting, intent on lighting the reindeer ablaze.

Only for the arrow to be split in half by an overhead swing.

"Oi… that's animal abuse you know?" Gian hissed as he pointed Atom Splitter towards the two henchmen. Chopper gasped as he felt the man rip the puffs of hair from his body. He soon saw Wapol charging angrily at him, jaws agape as he intend to devour the two. However, Luffy jumped in front of him and delivered a stretching kick to his gut, sending the despotic king doubling over.

"Your opponent is us!" the young captain declared.

"Did… Did his body just stretch?" Chopper wondered out loud.

"That's right. Our captain has a devil fruit that runs his body to rubber. This means he's just like you" Gian smiled "In fact, we're all monsters here."

Before Chopper could ask what he means, Musshuru stood up and glared at the scene of his allies beaten to the ground.

"As usual, I must be the one to finish this. I will start with you, the one who lived through my poison! This time, you will not be so lucky!"

"Took the words right out of my mouth." Gian sneered "I'll tell you this right now, you're not going to get a single spore near me for this fight!"

"Arrogant punk!" Musshuru howled and dashed forward, one of his hand spinning rapidly in the process and transforming into a drill "Taste my **Spin Drill!"** thrusting forward, the mushroom-like man was met with the staff of Atom Splitter as the two of them pushed against one another, sparks emitting from the impact.

While they are clashing, Chess and Kuromarimo staggered up and looked to their king.

"Please Wapol-sama, let us rectify our mistake!" Chess grunted.

"Yes… we'll kill these rebels!" Kuromarimo growled out.

"…Very well… I will use my Baku Baku no mi's powers to make you even stronger!" glaring at Luffy and Chopper he opened his iron jaws " **Baku Baku Shock: Wapol House!"**

Suddenly the hippo-like king began transforming. His limbs retracted into his sleeves and out popped two cannon barrels. His body became metallic, even possessing a door in his naval.

"Now, for the next act! **Baku Baku Factory!"**

Chess and Kuromarimo grinned as, to the shock of onlookers, Wapol wopened his mouth and swallowed both of them into his gut. Rumbling began to sound from his body as it began to shake. Then the door popped open, and a large shadow dashed into the open, slamming a wooden mallet down where Luffy and Chopper was standing, the two barely avoiding the hit. As the snow subsided, it was revealed that Chess and Kuromarimo has combined into one entity; both their heads poked out of their wide body, and four arms to the side.

" **I am Chessmarimo! And I will protect Wapol-sama from all things who wish to harm him!"** the two of them spoke at once.

"No way! He fused them together!" Luffy yelped.

Sanji, watching from the back lines, shook his head "No, I'm pretty sure that one is just standing atop the other one…"

"What kind of stupid ability is that? All he did was fuse their clothes together?" Gian grimaced.

"Mushushushu, my brother's powers may be rather unorthodox, but Chessmarimo will have enough power to take down your allies, that you can be sure. You should not be getting distracted though, it could mean the end of you!" Musshuru snickered. Taking advantage of Gian's shock, Musshuru slammed his foot into the Kaiju-Zoan user, knocking him back into the snow.

"Damn… he hits hard for someone so skinny…" Gian grunted as his ribs realigned themselves. Musshuru dashed at him again, and the two began to clash once more.

Meanwhile, Chopper once again tried to rush Wapol, only for the tyrant to open fire with his arm cannons. With this new fire power, it seems like the little reindeer could be overwhelmed.

"A few fake doctors think they can stand up to me?! I'll make you suffer for this! That flag, it belonged to the Quack, didn't it? It dares to defile my castle? I'll shoot it down **Bero Cannon!"** The king's mouth snapped open to reveal an artillery barrel within, and promptly fired a cannon ball towards the defenseless flag.

"No! Doctor's Flag!" Chopper watched in horror.

"Crap… we'll never make it in time!" Gian cursed. He attempted to shoot it down with an **Atom Ray** , but Musshuru was upon him almost immediately, forcing him to defend himself. The flag was engulfed in a violent explosion as Wapol cackled maliciously. His laughter was cut short however, when an enraged voiced sounded.

"You bastard… Do you even understand what this flag stands for?!"

The smoke cleared to reveal Luffy, gripping the flag pole in one hand and his entire body singed. As he blocked the cannonball with his own body, the flag was left unharmed. Rage, however, was evident in his eyes.

"I don't know who this flag belongs to, but a pirate flag is the symbol of freedom and life! Someone like you has no right to destroy it!"

"I have no right?! I am the king here! I do what I want!" Wapol shot back.

"Don't worry Chopper, I am going to kick his ass for you!" Luffy declared as he landed back to the ground.

"Oh right, his body is made of rubber…" Gian grinned at the sight.

"What is that boy thinking?!" Musshuru gawked at such a defiant display.

"That, is something you will never understand. A vile person such as yourself will never understand the feelings of a pirate!" The blade of Atom splitter suddenly lit up with atomic energy, the billowing blue flames quickly growing larger "And for my captain, I will use the fires of radiation to cleanse your presence from this kingdom! **Atom Splitter: Flame Burst!"**

With a single swipe, Gian sent a large blue fireball searing towards the mushroom-like man. Musshuru screamed as the projectile exploded upon impact, sending him flying.

"Bro-chan!" "Musshuru-sama!" the cohorts all yelped.

Musshuru's body was smoking as he staggered back up.

"I'll… You'll pay for that!"

"Well, this fight just got kicked to a new level. We're going to have to take them one at a time. I got the mushroom man, Luffy you take King Fatass over there. And Chopper, I don't want to burden a little guy like you, but the fusion over there is yours." Gian stated.

"Don't worry about me, I've got my own ways to fight!" Chopper assured him as he pulled out a round yellow pellet. Biting down into it, Chopper's body underwent a shocking transformation. What once stood a little reindeer was now a bipedal beast with the arms of a well-trained bodybuilder. His face is still that of a reindeer's, but one that is much more serious-looking. If it weren't for the pink hat, Gian and Luffy would've never thought it was the same reindeer besides them.

"You can transform?! That's so cool!" Luffy cheered with stars in his eyes.

"…I feel so inferior right now…" Gian mumbled as he stared at his own (in his mind) rather impressive arms, which in the presence of this new form suddenly doesn't look like much.

"Oh right… this is because of the Rumble Ball you saw me eat earlier. It gives me additional transformations for up to 3 minutes." Chopper explained.

"He's just like you Gian! He can transform into things too!" Luffy shouted with excitement.

"It would seem that way, yes…" Gian smiled. In his mind he was already thinking about what else the Rumble Balls could do. It's highly possible that it would work for all Zoan-types, so if he combined it with it his Kaiju-zoan… ohhh yeah… the possibilities…

"Gian, why do you look funny right now and why are you laughing weirdly?" Luffy asked, for at this moment Gian had a grin that stretched from ear to ear and chuckling all the while. When this was pointed out he quickly composed himself, slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry…"

"Wait… transform? What do you-" Chopper caught on with that, only to be interrupted.

"I'll show you later, maybe I'll do it during the fight even…" Gian looked as Musshuru jumped at him again, and the two began trading blows once more. During this time Luffy was trying to dodge attacks from Wapol, who was firing round after round of cannonballs at the strawhat boy. Chopper nodded and turned to the fused Chessmarimo, ready to protect his country as well.

With that being said, the newly transformed reindeer charged at Chessmarimo with newfound strength. Rearing both hooves back he prepared to release a devastating attack.

" **Kokutei Roseo!"**

The powerful hit slammed into one of Chessmarimo's hammers, pushing against it for a while before breaking it to pieces. However the fused man simply swung another mallet towards the reindeer, forcing him to transform again, this time into a form that looks more like at tall human. With this new form he quickly leapt to safety using his Jump Point. Chessmarimo pursued after him.

"This guy… he's too strong for just the Arm-point alone…" he shrank back into his regular small humanoid form "I'll have to find his weakness first…" His eyes widened as he realized that Chessmarimo was upon him. Both heads grinned savagely as he swung a hammer down. However, instead of smashing the reindeer into a pancake, he found a large ball of fur underneath instead.

" **W-what?! What is this?!** "

"This is my Guard Point! It's defense is more than enough for your mallets!"

Chessmarimo snarled and slammed another hammer into him, this time knocking him away like a croquet ball. Chopper yelped as he transformed back into Brain Point, just to see Chessmarimo marching towards him.

" **What is a monster like you even fighting for in this country anyway? You have no friends here, everyone sees you as a freak! You should just step aside and let Wapol-sama regain his throne as he should."** The man sneered as he repeated swung his weapons towards the little deer, with Chopper jumping around to avoid them as much as possible.

"Doctor once sacrificed his life for the future of this country. With you lot gone it can finally have a chance to prosper. I will not let Doctor's dream go to waste!" Chopper then rolled out of the way, placing both his front hooves together in the process " **Scope!"**

A few seconds passed before Chopper once again transformed into Arm Point "I found it! Your weakness is the spot between your chins! **Kokutei Roseo!"**

The strong blow crashed into the fused man, who was too slow to block it this time. Just as Chopper predicted, the blow instantly knocked the man out.

"My servants!" Wapol yelped, and during this one distraction where he stopped firing at Luffy, the kid pirate took the advantage and landed a powerful punch square into his face. Wapol yelled in pain as he rolled into the snow, before picking him up and bolting into the castle, Luffy and Kureha right behind him.

"Heh, that little reindeer is quite a fighter it seems. Now to handle you…" Gian grinned as he saw Musshuru recompose himself with an angry look.

" **Run Hypha!"** a large wall of mushrooms suddenly burst through the ground, speeding at Gian in a straight line. Gian spun Atom Splitter around, lighting the tip once more " **Atom Splitter: Flame Wave!"**

The bolt of atomic energy clashed with the wall of mushrooms, incinerating them. Musshuru jumped through the flames and attacked with another drill hand, where Gian countered by leaping over him and attempted to slice the man's back with Atom Splitter. If he could just get the tip to touch, the kairoseki-laced blade would render him immobile. That's all he needs to finish this battle. And that seems to be the case, as the blade made a large cut across the man's back. Musshuru howled as he fell to the ground.

Only to explode into a cloud of purple spores.

"What in the-" Gian's voice was full of shock as he leapt way to avoid the cloud of toxic material. However, he was blindsided by another punch to the back of the head. He barely knew what was going on before another punch hit him, this time in his ribcage. Gathering his senses, he managed to swing Atom Spitter in a wide arc, sensing his attacker jump away.

When he regained his sight, his eyes widen to see not one, but _six_ individual copies of the mushroom man he was fighting.

"Mushushushu! I thought you'd like a few more friends!" All of the Musshurus spoke at once "Now you can witness my **Lot Stiffen!** Which one of them is the actual me? You better choose carefully, or take the poison as a result!"

"Clones… Why does it always have to be clones…?" Gian sighed "I'll just beat them all at once then!"

"Is that what you wish to do? You'll never get the chance!" All the mushroom men attacked at once, lashing out with their **Spin Drills**. A few of them pierced Gian in various places, injecting their deadly spores within. Gian gritted as he fought against the debilitated poison; thanks to the antidote Kureha gave him earlier, along with his own regeneration, the poison was not as harsh as before. Still, fighting with it in his system is as bad as you'd expect.

" _This guy… he's forcing me into a corner here…"_ Gian thought as he parried another punch. There was only one way he can end this now. Sucking in a large air, his entire body flashed with azure light before releasing the **Atom Pulse**. The clones couldn't avoid the blast in time, and thus were incinerated within the explosion.

"Now where are you?!" Gian rasped as he looked around. The landscape around him was clear of anybody dressed like a mushroom, but Gian could still feel that he was around.

A few feet away, Chopper was watching the fight with rapt attention. He wasn't around when Musshuru was banished from Drum Kingdom, but he's heard from Doctorine on how deadly the spores he produced were. For someone to match him in combat, he must be strong! His nose suddenly twitched and his eyes widened; Musshuru was still around!

"Behind you! He's hiding in the snow!" Chopper warned.

Gian immediately spun around, impaling Atom Splitter into the snow. Immediately his ears was greeted by a yell of pain and he heaved the mass from beneath the snow. Musshuru was powerless due to the Seastone blade, and this was the perfect time to finish him off.

"Thanks for the assist." Gian grinned before striding up to the elder brother of Wapol as he weakly tried to crawl away. Placing his foot down hard onto his back, he had Atom Splitter raised slightly in the case that he tries anything else.

"I really don't know what else to say here… You're a guy who poisons people with no regard to who's effected. You support the tyrannical actions of your brother… I have nothing else to say to you, aside from helping the good Doctor free this country from your influence."

"You… Don't know… What you're doing! Wapol will take-" he was cut short when Gian pressed his foot down harder.

"I'm getting tired of hearing you talk…" Gian growled.

"You had better let me go now!" Musshuru wheezed "Or else I'll poison every citizen in this country!"

"You're still-" Gian snapped until he noticed wisps of purple smoke billowing out of Musshuru's mouth.

"What…?"

"You see it don't you? All those spores?" Musshuru cackled weakly "I'll let you in on a little secret… My Noko Noko no Mi is not like other devil fruits. While it can produce these deadly spores, there is one problem: I have to release copious amounts of it every 10 years or else my body gets overloaded, then even I will succumb to its effects! And it just so happens… it's been10 years has passed since I've last done that!"

Gian's eyes widened at the revelation.

"Mushushushu! That's right! If you keep pressing down on my chest like that, I might prematurely explode! Think about the villagers, all blissfully unaware of what's about to happen. Think about the strawhat and the girl and the rest of your little crew, who are just a few steps away from you! One mistake and they'll all take a dose of my spores!"

"You bastard!" Gian snarled and lifted Atom Splitter, prepared to slash down.

"Killing me won't do you any good, it'll just make the **Fatal Bomb** explode prematurely!" hearing this Gian gritted his teeth, but kept his hand.

"So, if you don't want everybody on this island to die, you better release me right now!" Musshuru grinned.

What an impasse to be at, but considering what the stakes are Gian couldn't really risk anything. Reluctantly he took his foot off the man's chest.

"This **Fatal Bomb** of yours… you better release it away from the island."

"Mushushushu! Don't worry, I'll do just that… RIGHT AFTER YOU AND THE MONSTER DIES! **SNOW SPORES!"**

" **W-wait! Musshuru-sama! We're still here!"** Chessmarimo weakly protested when they heard what he announced, but Musshuru was beyond all reasoning now. A massive wave of purple spores erupted from his body, surging towards the castle along with Gian and Chopper. Chessmarimo let out a weak gurgle as they were engulfed by the cloud.

Chopper's eyes were wide with terror as the cloud surged closer, fear completely paralyzing him. Gian cursed as he immediately dove on top of the little reindeer, covering him with his body as the cloud of spore engulfed him too.

"MUSHUSHUSHU! THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR GOING UP AGAINST ME!" Musshuru laughed in triumph "Now, all that remains is to take care of the other nuisance. Then again, maybe Wapol's finished with him already! I'll check anyway and-"

" **Please, Luffy won't be beaten that easily by a fat bastard like him!"**

"WHAT?!"

The cloud of spores have still yet to dissipate, but the deep, monstrous voice could be heard clearly.

" **I'll be honest… I'm not exactly the most upright person in the world… Back in Loguetown I used to pick fights with the local thugs every second week…"** Musshuru's eyes widened as the spores dissipated; it couldn't be! **"I used to send any punk kid who thinks they're tough shit for picking on my little brother packing, and any person who'd think twice about robbing me out on the streets would eat the pavement instead."** The smoke had cleared up considerably now, and Musshuru could see the silhouette of the same Kaiju-Zoan user he engulfed in spores, only now he had taken up a more reptilian shape.

" **But even with that being said, I've never seen a person as immoral, vile, and treats the lives of others with so little regard! Up until you showed up!"** the smoke was almost clear now, and two amber colored eyes could clearly be seen glowing in the cover. Musshuru's eyes widened to the size of saucers upon the sight.

" **Chopper… in the past people have called you a monster. Know that those people are ignorant; this is what a monster is truly capable of!"** the little reindeer, whose eyes were shut tight as the cloud of spores closed in moments before, cracked an eye open and had a mix of shock and awe in his eyes at what he saw,

Musshuru barely had any time to react before a massive dark shape barreled into him, sending him crashing through the snow. Reeling, he finally realized that his former opponent had taken a monstrous form; his own actions had brought this upon himself as Gian's Partial Transformation bore down on him.

" **I'd normally hate to use this power on something so petty, but after what I've seen from you, I'm going to enjoy breaking every bone in your body!"**

" **Shade Dance!"** Musshuru panicked and fired his spore bullets once more, much to his horror however, the spores were instantly vaporized when they got close to Gian's body.

"H-How is that possible?!"

" **There's a reason why your poison didn't kill me before, well that and Doctor Kureha's antidote. I already know that these spores of yours cannot withstand heat, so I'll let you in on a secret: In this form, the amount of radiation I produce is superheated more than many flames in the world! Even with your poison ravaging my body, it heals itself faster than it is destroyed! Which means I've been holding back on you this whole time!"**

Musshuru gulped at that revelation, just as he felt something wrap around his ankle and he was flung across the snow by Gian's tail. He barely got his face up before he heard a swoop in the air. Looking up his eyes widened in shock as Gian dived bombed towards him, his entire body surrounded by atomic energy.

" **Atom Seismic Destruction!"**

Upon landing the snow around his body exploded instantly, the shockwave pounded into Musshuru sending him reeling once again. Gian was about to jump once again until-

"Wait! If you jump again you might start an avalanche!" Chopper cried out a warning.

" **Ah, I forgot about that. Might as well finish it now then."** Striding over to the fallen mushroom man he picked him up, rearing his fist back.

"W-wait… aren't you afraid I'll detonate the **Fatal** **Bomb?!"** Musshuru pleaded one last time.

" **Don't you worry about that, I came with a precaution**." Gian grinned. Both his fists suddenly erupted into blue flames " **This ought to burn out any spores you might release."**

"Please... Please forgive-"

" **Save it, after what I saw you do, even Buddha may find it hard to feel any forgiveness for your sorry ass! Now leave my sight!** **Atom… Eruption… Overdrive!"**

And just like that, Musshuru was subjected to the biggest barrage of fists he ever experienced. Multiple atomic charged fists crashed into his body at various angles, easily breaking bone. With one final punch, Gian sent the man screaming into the side of the castle, blasting a hole into the side.

A few distances away, Chopper's eyes were bugged out of his head! Never would he think he could witness something like that! It was terrifying; this savage beast of a man easily defeated Musshuru. Yet despite his show of strength, Chopper could feel no innate hostility from him.

" _So strong… they're both so strong! Is this what's out on the seas?"_ Before he could ask anything else, he was startled by the low, rumbling voice of the beast.

" **Remember Chopper, a monster is not defined by his appearance, but by the things he does to the people around him every day."** Gian murmured as he picked up Atom Splitter and slowly walked towards the hole he made " **People like him, who gushes out poison with zero disregard for others, and people like me who can turn a person into mincemeat with just a few punches. So if you ever see yourself as anything less than what you already are, you can think back to this day."** He sighed and closed his eyes for a bit " **let's go help Luffy finish this, all that's left is the fat king I believe."** He began climbing into the hole.

Chopper thought about it a bit more, before wordlessly following him into the castle.

* * *

"Bro-chan! I can't believe this!" upon seeing the battered body of his older brother, Wapol actually felt fear for the first time. All of his subordinates have been taken down thus far! The more he thinks about it the angrier he gets.

"To see Musshuru in such a state… that boy must have used his Kaiju-Zoan has he not?" Kureha stated. She could feel the radioactive energy pulse from even within the castle.

"Whatever he did, it made Gian angry." Was Luffy's simple reply.

"You guys have gone too far this time!" Wapol snarled and was about to take action before those from outside arrived inside.

" **It's just him now… is it just me or did he lose weight?"** Gian asked. He also took time to notice that Wapol had noticeably slimmed down, no longer a rotund figure, yet the new form made his face rather elongated.

"Yes, once we defeat him it should be over." Chopper said from beside him.

"Y-you… I won't forgive you for this! Just you wait!" Picking up his brother's limp form Wapol ran out the door behind him. The crew quickly gave chase, following him to another locked door. Kureha suddenly realized something.

"This room is where…"

" **Break the door down!** " Gian roared and slamming his shoulders into the wooden door, tearing it off its hinges easily.

What greeted them from behind the door was a monstrous form that none of them expected to see.

" **Mahahaha! Behold! My most powerful form, the Musshuru Wapol Cannon!"**

Wapol now towered over everybody; Even the 9'1" Partial Transformation was dwarfed by this! Upon eating both his brother and the large cannon within the room, he took upon this massive form to take his final stand. His massive body had some form of clock on his torso, four arms extended out of his side, along with a massive cannon attached to his back.

"I knew it…" Kureha hissed.

" **With this I will launch my brother's Fatal Bomb into the skies of Drum Kingdom! The spores will float down to all these insolent villagers that think they can keep me from my rule! With our medical skills people will be coming here regardless! I will still be king! "**

"You monster… By doing that you will-"

" **Yes, and I don't care! If people die then this country gets purified anyway so all works out in the end! Nothing matters as long as I regain my throne!"**

As he said that, the clock on his chest began ticking down.

" **First, I will ensure none of you make it out of my castle alive!"** Wapol's hands morphed into axes, all 4 of them slamming down towards the small group. Chopper and Luffy both dodged, While Gian, with nowhere to jump, had to force himself against the incoming blade and heave it to the side.

"We got to beat him before the time runs out!" Chopper reminded, morphing into Walk Point and running at the giant king. However, the large man was too big for Chopper's Walk Point, and he was forced to ingest another Rumble Ball into Arm Point. Wapol saw this however, and proceeded to slam the flat side of his ax into the little deer, knocking him into the wall.

" **We need to get him down to size! Luffy, stretch your arms out!"** Gian motioned. Luffy blinked before realizing what his crewmate was planning and promptly extended his arm to grab a pole at the other end of the room.

" **Now, follow me you big hippo! Atom Flame Burst!"** the fire ball smacked into Wapol's face, causing the despotic king to cry in pain before chasing after the Kaiju-Zoan user in a rage. However, this was exactly what he wanted, as Gian leapt over Luffy's outstretched arms, Wapol missed that little detail and came tumbling down.

" **Now Chopper!"** upon hearing this the little reindeer wasted no time charging up in Arm Point and rearing both his hooves back.

" **Kokutei Roseo!"**

The blow sent Wapol flying into the ceiling, causing him to yelp once again.

" **Mahahaha… it's too late… The time is up!"** to everyone's horror, Wapol's countdown reached full circle and out from the cannon blasted a large black ball: The **Fatal Bomb.**

"We need to do something!" Chopper shouted.

" **That's where I come in. Atom Ray!"** no sooner the cannon ball open up did the blue beam of heat incinerate every last spore it released. Gian huffed as he ended his attack and glared at Wapol.

When the king opened his eyes again, he now had an expression of terror in his face as he realized defeat was upon him. The two pirates had already climbed onto the roof, both cracking their own knuckles.

"Hey! Come on! Don't be so cruel!" he pleaded with a shaky smile. Luffy and Gian both glared at him with disgust in their eyes.

"A person like you… with absolutely no resolve… has no right to touch another's pirate flag!" Luffy snarled.

" **All you care about is your own title… you're not fit to be a king…** "

"Please! I can reward you greatly with my power! You will have all kinds of medals and land!" but the two of them refused to listen any longer.

" **You really are the lowest form of scum I've ever encountered in my life… What you've committed to this country… WILL NEVER BE PAID BACK BY MONEY!"** Both of his fists were lit ablaze with blue radiation as he reared them back " **Atom Eruption Overdive!"**

Wapol was subjected to multiple flaming fists smashing into his face, before Gian suddenly flipped off the roof. His eyes widened even further as he saw Luffy rear both outstretched hands back to deliver a final blow.

"W-Wait… please! I'll make you both into vice kings of this country! I'll even let you-" no amount of pleading would do him any good now.

" **GOMU GOMU NO… BAZOOKA!"**

The force of the attack was so great that it send Wapol skywards, until he disappeared from sight. Drum Kingdom, at last… was truly free.

"They actually did it…" Kureha mumbled softly as she, Chopper and Sanji watched the whole thing. She then took another drink.

" _Hiluluk… your vision is about to come true…_ "

 _Later:_

Through much preparations, it seems that Drum Kingdom could eventually be allowed to prosper again. Now that Wapol is gone, people can actually use their medical technology for the betterment of other people once again.

The Isshi-20 were put under the wing of Kureha, and they promised to uphold Hiluluk's memory. That and they really didn't want a quack doctor to show them up, but they'll their hero regardless.

It took a while for Sanji and Nami to convince the witch that they needed to leave immediately. Originally she was adamant on letting them stay longer so they would be fully cured, and would not take no for an answer. It wasn't until Vivi and Usopp made it up here and have them explain the situation did she finally relent in letting them go. And right now, Dalton was in the middle of gathering travel supplies for the crew. The former guard in particular was grateful for them in allowing the country to start over again.

Dalton revealed that he also has a Zoan Devil Fruit: The Ushi Ushi no mi: Model Bison. Gian couldn't help but ask him for a demonstration, and after seeing it wanted to have a test of strength against the former guard. This never came to be as Nami swiftly "reminded" him that they needed to leave soon.

There is, however, still one thing they need to do.

"Hey, reindeer! It's time to join my crew! We'll be pirates together!" Luffy called out to the little reindeer as they decided to build a snowman to celebrate their navigator's successful recovery. However, the little reindeer was silent, and was trying to distance himself from the group.

"What's wrong with him?" Usopp looked up.

After a while Chopper finally looked up.

"I can't."

"Eh? Why not?!" Luffy asked.

"Listen… I'm really grateful for your help… but… I can't go" his lips began to quiver as emotions welled up inside him "I'm a reindeer! I have a blue nose and people see me as a monster! If I go with you people are just going to be afraid of me!" tears began to speck the edges of his eyes. This is the one chance for him to go out and, now that he realizes it, it actually sounds rather unrealistic.

"So I've just came here to thank you guys… and wish you all good luck on your journey… If… if you all miss me, then you're free to come and visit… So-"

"Shut up, LET'S GO!" Luffy shouted this to the heavens.

Chopper was shocked at this display, and even more so when he felt himself be picked up.

"Seriously? I literally turned into fire breathing dinosaur in front of you but it's the reindeer part you're concerned about? You really are a funny little guy…" Gian snickered affectionately.

Looking around Chopper could see every member of the crew that was present were looking at him warmly; they didn't see him as a freak at all! Tears began to freely flow at this point. It seems that he's finally found people who accepted him.

He openly began to weep at this, before running inside the castle… there had to be one thing he needs to do first.

* * *

Dr. Kureha had already expected the little reindeer to show up, but she acted otherwise. Soon the door barged open and Chopper was breathing hard.

"Doctorine, I need to talk to you. I want to leave the island!"

"Where did you go? I need you to help out Dalton right now. Go."

"Listen, I want to be a pirate! I want to go out to sea with those guys and see the world-"

"Don't be ridiculous! I didn't train you to be a doctor just so you can stroll out to sea! Do you really think you even have the skills to do so?" Kureha snapped.

"Doctorine I-"

"I'm not allowing it! What does a reindeer think he's doing going out to sea in the first place?" suddenly the witch began throwing a flurry of knives out towards the little deer. Chopper yelped and ran off.

 _Later:_

The crew reluctantly realized that the little deer probably wasn't coming, and were about to leave the mountain before-

"Hurry! Let's go!" they suddenly looked back and saw Chopper run towards them, a sled behind him. He felt slightly bad for leaving Doctorine like that, but the more he thought about the more he knew: he wanted to go to sea.

"Yay! He's coming with us!" and everybody promptly hopped on the sled and descended the rope bridge.

It was in the middle of this that the sound of cannons were heard. A moment later, Chopper and company looked with astonishment that the white snow had turned into Cherry Blossom pink.

In the pale moonlight, it was about as beautiful as you can imagine. For Chopper, tears began to flow as he realized what this signified.

At last, Doctor Hiluluk's wish had come true. All that work, all those sacrifices, they had paid off at last.

While everyone looked on with awe, Chopper openly began to cry, wishing his mentor and country goodbye.

Atop the peak, Dr. Kureha looked on with a small smile. The sendoff was a success, and to be fair, she quite liked it herself.

"Now get lost… my foolish son…"

 _Later:_

"Carue! How did you get frozen in the water?!" Vivi cried out in concern as they fished the duck onto the Merry. It was finally time to leave, but first they had to formally welcome their newest crewmember.

"Don't look at me! I don't tell him what to do!" Zoro huffed. After a quick explanation of what happened. Zoro greeted the little deer in his own way. Chopper found him quite intimidating, but also a nice person as well.

"Q…Quack…"

"He said he saw the green haired man swimming in the water, and thought he'd join him. Then he got frozen." Chopper revealed.

"SO IT WAS YOU AFTER ALL!" Nami punched him on the head.

Gian's eyes widened.

"Wait a minute… did you just translate what the duck said?"

"Yeah… we animals can understand what other animals are saying."

"Wow, that's a real handy skill to have around!" Vivi complimented.

"That's so cool Chopper! You're not only a good doctor but you can talk to animals as well!" Nami praised as well.

"I-idiots! Don't think saying that will make me happy!" Chopper did his flustered happy dance when he heard that as usual.

" **Quick! What am I saying?"** Gian Partially transformed with excitement, scaring everyone on board.

"YOU CAN STILL TALK DUMBASS!" everybody punched him in the head.

"Hold on… Chopper's a doctor?" Zoro was wide eyed at that revealation.

"REALLY?! WE HAVE A DOCTOR NOW?!" Apparently Luffy never caught onto this fact. It turns out Sanji didn't either.

"Um yeah… why did you think I asked him to come…?" Nami sweatdropped at this.

"He's a cool reindeer with many transformations?" Luffy thought.

"I thought he was emergency food supply." Sanji stated, to the horror of the little deer.

"You guys are hopeless…" Gian sighed.

* * *

Soon everyone had a wonderful celebration to welcome their newest nakama. Chopper had a big grin on his face. Having real friends is a great feeling!

" _It sure is a great time here…"_ Gian smiled softly as he observed the little deer joining Usopp and Luffy in a funny dance where they stuck chopsticks up their noses. His smiled dropped as he looked into the distance: They are getting closer to Alabasta, which means that they are getting closer to Baroque Works.

" _I wonder how much longer this can last… I just hope we're ready."_

Shaking off the thought, Gian went back to the party to have more food and also hug Chopper a bit more.

 **A/N: Wow… I finally got this done…**

 **I really wanted this to be out much earlier, but exams, projects, and general return of old habits had made it quite hard. Also considering last week shit got cranked into high gear by our neighbors south of the border I figured nobody was in the mood to read anything. I will have to say we will officially begin the Alabasta Arc next chapter, and with good timing too.**

 **Exactly a week from now, this story will be one year old. Originally it started off small and now it has almost 200 favorites and over 200 follows, not to mention over 200 reviews. And the journey is just beginning too, I already have a rough plan on every arc so far and it is going to be huge. Considering how much hype Oda is giving us right now with the current arc I straight up can't wait for one more. I just want to say that, thank you all for staying with us for this adventure thus far, it's good to have you onboard. Also unrelated news, but we finally got a One Piece character into Death Battle! Zoro better win this (and he very much should), or else Screwattack is going on my list.**

 **G: Wait, so am I one year old or 23 years old?**

… **I'm not even going to answer that.**

 **Responses to reviews:**

 **To Chance Green G King: To be fair, the poison Musshuru uses aren't exactly corrosive, but I see your point.**

 **I'll leave a review as soon as I catch up.**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **I hope you'll like this!**

 **To anquan:**

 **There will be blood, and other things.**

 **To Guest:**

 **I don't even think he's here anymore… what the hell have you been doing?! Why are you not talking in these reviews anymore?**

 **G: *in the distance* ZA WARUDO! TOKI WO TOMARE**

 **Oh yeah… that… yeah that would make sense.**

 **To tamagat:**

 **More moves to come, stay tuned.**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **The explanation is a bit crappy but it was the best I could think of. But Gian and Chopper will have more interactions in the coming chapters.**

 **To haruaji11:**

 **And here's another one!**

 **To Noble Pirate:**

 **Yeah, the movie isn't exactly one of the more memorable ones, but retellings are always interesting in their own little way.**

 **To Matt:**

 **Here it is!**

 **Well, I guess I'll see you for the next chapter. Considering this saga is drawing to a close I have to say the next bit is going to be the most fun I've had on this story in a while. I want to try to get it out by our 1 year anniversary, but I really don't think it's possible.**

 **G: Wow, another chapter finished!**

 **Now you come back… do you have something to say?**

 **G: Yes, for you see, you all thought it was Gian speaking to you… BUT IT WAS ME, DIO!**

 **My God… why did I show you that… don't make Jojo memes when you're working…**

 **G: fine… but are you sure about that?**

 **Yes.**

 **G: Ok… but I want to let you know…. I REFUSE.**

 **GODDAMMIT.**

 **Leave a review so he'll actually stop making Jojokes.**

 **G: DAGA KOTOWARU.**


	35. Alabasta: The Desert Country

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Alabasta Arc opening: Know Know Know by Does (Gintama Op. 15)**

 _(As the guitar solo in the beginning of the song is heard, we can see snapshots of Gian with blue atomic energy out slowly emitting out of his body. More snapshots can be seen of his experiences from Punk Hazard to right now. The energy then envelopes him and expands, reaching a massive size to reveal his Full Transformation, different parts of his body is shown as it ends with his jaws opened to fire an Atom Ray)_

 _ **Shizuka na nemuri samatage, ga naru taimaa narihibiku din don.**_

 _(Cuts to the Going Merry sailing towards a vast desert continent, the entire crew has a determined look on their faces as they brace themselves for the biggest challenge yet.)_

 _ **Buran nyuu dei no hajimari niwa, shukufuku no sabaki o ageyo.**_

 _(multiple more people are shown in brief clips, starting from Smoker and Tashigi, A few people that Vivi appears to know, to another black haired man, not much older than most of the grew, with a large purple cross-like tattoo on his back. Before the screen cuts to Vivi as she closes her eyes and the area around her darkens.)_

 _ **Suki na koto bakari suru no sa, zutto kono mama kono basho de-**_

 _(Flashes of lightning illuminates a flag of Baroque Works, as the silhouettes of multiple assassins could be seen. 4 people in particular stood out. They are a bald man with what appears to be blades on his arms, then a flash of Miss All-Sunday, followed by Crocodile waving his hook over the Capital city Alubarna with a wave of sand washing over, before the sand burst to reveal glowing a massive horned head red eyes and a mouth full of sharp teeth. Vivi let out a gasp before realizing the Strawhats have already leapt to her aid.)_

 _ **Yes I know know know know bokura wa, eien nante iranai. Saikou no ima ga aru, Oh Oh Oh Oh…**_

 _(Clips of fighting can be seen, with Zoro clashing swords with the bladed man from before, Sanji in a kicking match against a man wearing makeup and dressed like a ballerina dancer, Nami holding a new staff weapon bracing herself against a woman with a blue afro with spikes extending out of her arms, while Usopp and Chopper were fighting against a mole-like woman and a round man with a dog-bazooka respectively.)_

 _ **Yes, I know know know know bokura wa, koukai nante osorenai, saikyou no mirai tsukame, Oh Oh Oh Oh…!**_

 _(Luffy is throwing a barrage of punches at Crocodile, each punch only passing harmlessly through the man's body as he sneered and send forward a blade of sand in which Luffy is forced to jump over. The ground suddenly erupted to reveal a massive red beast with a single horn on his head and flames billowing out of its mouth, the creature lets out a screeching roar as it dove towards a large group of people, only to have Gian step in the way.)_

 _ **Oh Oh Oh Oh… Yes I know, good time is now (Yes I know good time is)**_

 _More flashing images, Showing everything the crew has been through at this point, ending still of Miss All-Sunday crossing her arms as petals floated around her._

 _ **Yes I know, good time is now…!**_

 _(As the song ends, blue light streaked across the sky as Gian Fully Transforms, before letting out his own roar of challenge and locking in a death grip with the new monster.)_

 **Well, I'm back! Let's begin the most anticipated arc up to this point in the story!**

* * *

"So these Rumble Balls… How long ago did you come up with this?" Gian and Chopper were sitting below deck, the former with one of the yellow pellets between his thumb and index finger. Chopper was still getting adjusted to life in the crew and all seems to be going smoothly. They should be arriving in Alabasta any day now.

"To be honest, I only found out about it by accident while I was doing an experiment, but I realized that I match the wavelengths of my own devil fruit and it allows me to transform ever since!" Chopper revealed "There's still a lot of things I'm still experimenting with it. I didn't really have many opportunities to experiment back in Drum."

"The best inventions all do start from accidents it seems…" Gian mused, he then had an idea "Hey… Do you think… these balls work for other Zoan-type users?"

"Hmmm… I honestly don't know… the Rumble Balls in theory should be able to grant any Zoan user the ability to augment their transformations, but I haven't tested it yet…Not that I could before…" Chopper pondered. He was quite curious about this too.

"I am always looking for new ways to enhance my abilities… Will you mind if I take one off of your hands for a bit? I might need it one day." Gian asked the little deer.

"Oh, that's no problem at all! If you find out about anything be sure to tell me!" Chopper called out as he gave him 3 pellets "Although… it'll be for the best if you don't consume too many at once… the results aren't… good."

Gian raised an eye at that; it seems that Chopper seems to know some undesirable side effects that he's not proud of when creating these pellets. He chose to drop it however, as not even he is sure whether or not he'll actually need it or not. Still, it would be fun to experiment!

"Yeah, I'll be careful."

"Ok!" the little deer smiled.

 _Later:_

"We should be arriving in Alabasta very soon…" Vivi mumbled anxiously. This journey has certainly been a fun one. Now she must do what has to be done to save her country from Baroque Works.

"If we don't starve to death… Nami-san when are we going to get a fridge that has a lock on it?!" Sanji complained. Earlier Luffy had raided the fridge while no one was looking, and as expected ate all the food within. Thus, this jaded attitude is not uncalled for.

"I was hungry…" Luffy's head was down.

"Well I'm hungry right now!" Gian snapped "Of all the food you could've eaten, did you have to eat ALL of it?!"

"We're going to have to fish…" Zoro sighed.

"Meanwhile, I think it would be good to know what we are up against. Vivi, what else do you know about Baroque Works?" Nami brought out the real questions.

"Right… As you probably already know, Mr. 0- Crocodile- is the leader of the organization. To the rest of Alabasta however, he is seen as a hero because he stops any invading pirates that seeks to raid any of the cities."

"Of course… When you have a big name pirate like that claiming to place an area under his or her protection, naturally it will be less appealing to others." Gian stated "Which only makes it easier for him to accomplish what he seeks to do."

"And with and organization as powerful as his pulling the ropes from behind the scenes… He's the cause of the civil war that is about to happen, I'm sure of it!"

"Taking advantage of a weakened country to take over said country… That must be his end goal!" Zoro deduced.

"Just how big of an organization are we facing here?!" Usopp whimpered.

"Well, as you've already seen Baroque Works Agents operate in pairs. Usually a man and a woman gets paired together. When Igaram and I were undercover we masqueraded as regular Frontier Agents, the 6th to 12th pair. People like Mr. 3 and Mr. 5 are Officer Agents, as well as anyone else from the 1st to 5th pair. Apart from that there are also scores of henchmen called Billions and Millions, they are in service of Officer and Frontier Agents respectively. Altogether, just the henchmen number at around 2000." Such a large amount of enemies made the already small crew look at each other anxiously.

"I've just joined this crew and I'm already going to be the target of a criminal organization…" Chopper wept.

"Yeah… We kinda forgot to tell you earlier…" Gian sighed before embracing the little deer.

Vivi wasn't done however as she continued her explanation "And at the top, there's Crocodile himself and his partner, Miss All-Sunday. Along with that… There's Mr. 0.5…" that last part was revealed in an almost silent whisper.

"Mr. 0.5? Who's he?" Luffy asked.

Vivi gulped before continuing "…He's Baroque Works' enforcer. He makes sure any of the agents don't get out of line and compromises any operations they are on… If that happens… then he becomes their executioner." It was clear that whoever this Mr. 0.5 was, he brings out the sense of fear within the princess. The crew could feel it emitting from her as she carried out her story.

"And who's his partner?" Gian asked.

"…he doesn't have one."

"From what you've mentioned, it seems that Baroque Works has a pretty uniformed structure… why the random exception here?"

"It's not that he doesn't have one… It's more like he _can't_ have one…" Vivi's eyes were full of terror as she recalled everything she knows about the murderous enforcer of Baroque Works "His job is to take out any agent that lags behind the organization… and that-"

"He kills his partners if they fail him?!" Nami shouted.

"Worse… he kills them…" Vivi whispered faintly "And then he _eats_ them…"

You could hear a pin drop at that revelation.

* * *

"Y-YOU MEAN HE'S A… HE'S A-" Usopp's scream broke the silence.

"Cannibal… This Mr. 0.5 is a cannibal… He's a maneater!" Sanji snarled.

"What kind of disgusting person is he?!" Nami shouted.

Vivi couldn't even answer the question at this point. She looked as if she was about to throw up.

"You've seen it happen haven't you?" Gian whispered, still in the state of shock "You saw him eat people?"

Vivi let out a small nod.

"It's ok, if it's not a memory you want to relive, then you don't have to tell us." Gian assured her.

"T-that's fine… It's best if I do tell you this. That one day… it made me see a man that's so detached from humanity it's a wonder he's still human at all!"

 **Flashback:**

" _Remember Princess… This mission may involve getting our hands dirty… we might have to take a life today." Igaram addressed Vivi solemnly as they were travelling to a small island just a few days away from Alabasta. Their partners are above deck awaiting further instructions, which gave him time. "However, in order to keep up our disguise, we have to do this… Otherwise all our efforts will be for naught."_

" _Must we Igaram?" Vivi pleaded "I do not wish to put the lives of innocents in the way. They need not to be sacrificed for something they have no idea of!"_

" _You're right… There has to be a better way… the false pretense of us joining this wretched organization is terrible enough as it is… but-"_

" _Come one now Mr. 8, are you seriously afraid of a little blood?" Mr. 9 grinned as he and Miss Monday strolled below deck "If we manage to complete this mission we would look good in the eyes of the boss!"_

" _I am well aware of that." Igaram replied, putting a more authoritative push into his voice "I simply wish that our missions occur smoothly so I don't have to waste my time."_

" _I have to side with Mr. 8 on this one. It would be well to get this done quickly." Vivi smiled softly._

" _You all look excited…" a deep voice caught their attention. The 4 turned around to see the balaclava clad Mr. 0.5 striding down the deck as well._

" _M-Mr. 0.5 sir! W-what brings you here?" Mr. 9 yelped._

" _What? Am I not welcome?" The man snorted "The Boss wanted me to personally oversee this mission. Normally this would mean that I have to watch how your performance is, but I've been cooped up at home lately and this is the first time in a while that I get to be out. So here's the deal, we're supposed to be acting as bounty hunters and clear out a pirate stronghold on the nearby Folsom Island. I'll take care of all the dirty stuff, all the killing, gutting and such. All you 4 have to do is take out anyone that tries to escape. I'll be heading out now, feel free to join me once you mustered up the strength to."_

" _S-sir… must we kill them? Bringing them in alive would give us more bounty money." Vivi tentatively asked. Immediately she could feel the cold eyes staring her up and down, as if judging her every action. The longer he did so it made her increasingly more uncomfortable._

 _Then Mr. 0.5 let out a toothy grin, and Vivi could see that his teeth were sharp; filed down to points "Perhaps not, meat does taste better alive after all…" he muttered as he got back up the deck._

 _Vivi paled upon hearing that, and once the man was out of earshot she whispered to Igaram "What does he mean by that?! He-He's only kidding, right?"_

 _Igaram was pale as well "I do not know Vivi-sama… There are some unsettling rumors about that man… The upper ranks of the organization calls him a demon, a monster. Someone that has no regards to the lives that he's about to take…"_

" _Ohhhh… Mr. 0.5 always gives me the shivers…" Mr. 9 whimpered._

" _Indeed, it would be wise not to get on his bad side on this mission…" Miss Monday also mumbled._

 _Vivi could only gulp._

 _It was only when they arrived at Folsom Island, did the supposed rumors truly presented themselves. And, being rumors, they clearly missed the mark on just how vile this man is._

 _Not even a second past did the four Frontier Agents reach the shore did they see a large gout of flames shoot straight up into the sky._

 _Then they heard the screams._

 _Pain, terror, despair. All could be described from the screaming that were ripped from the throats of the victims that were current assaulted by the massive horned beast. It took them a while realized it, but the four agents soon realized that the so-called enforcer for Baroque Works was something on another level entirely._

" _That monster… is that Mr. 0.5?!" Mr. 9 shouted fearfully._

" _So they're true… The rumors are true…" Igaram gave a hoarse whisper._

 _The creature had reddish-brown skin all over, with bumpy shingle like ridges on its back. Large ears flopped around as it dove its head down in a crushing bite. The creature had a resemblance to a bulldog, but one that was fused with a reptile. A single horn jutted out of its head, glowing with energy. The creature reared its head back and let loose a shrill roar. Upon closer inspection, the four noted, with horror clear in their eyes, that the beast had multiple body parts stuck to its teeth; victims that were unable to escape its attack._

" _What horror is this?!" Vivi could not help but wonder "Mr. 0.5… he attacks with unrestrained ferocity…"_

 _The entire attack lasted for about 8 minutes, the agonized screams lasting the entire way. Near the end of it, Vivi was sick to her stomach._

 _Then, just when she thought it couldn't be any worse, the bushes near them shook. The four Frontier Agents looked in terror as a bloody man walked out. One of his arms were missing and blood was streaming out. The man's eyes were hollow, pleading. It was as if he knew it was futile to struggle any more, but could not bear the idea of dying._

" _Please… H-help me… P-p-" he reached out his remaining hand. Before any of the horrified agents could react, a shadow was cast over him. Mr. 0.5 had transformed back, and after resting up he was hungry again._

" _Missed one…" the balaclava clad man grinned as he took out one of his hand axes. The man barely let out a scream as the blade plunged into his skull. Mr. 0.5 cackled before diving his head towards the man's throat. The teeth plunged into flesh, before Mr. 0.5 jerked his head backwards, ripping out the man's windpipe with a single move._

 _Vivi couldn't help but let out a fearful scream, one that the murderous enforcer did not fail to notice._

" _Getting squeamish there, Miss Wednesday?" He leered "Well get used to it! This is one happens to prey!"_

" _P-prey? You're referring to those people as prey?!" Vivi choked out._

" _Yes indeed… They are just mere primates… all of you are… fit for nothing else but be hunted…"_

" _W-wha-"_

" _Take note, all of you primates… In this world, only the strong gets to live; everything else…" He then took another bite, this time ripping out the man's heart "…Is merely PREY!"_

" _O-of course, Mr. 0.5 Sir!" Igaram stammered "We-we will remember this life lesson!"_

 _Mr. 0.5 only rumbled before dragging the remains of his kill back to the ship. Miss Monday and Mr. 9 almost passed out at the scene before shuffling back to the ship as well._

" _Oh my dear princess… You should not have seen all that…" Igaram fretted as he realized the trauma they just witnessed. Wrapping his arms around the girl, he did his best to try and comfort her._

" _Monster… He's a monster…!" Vivi whimpered into his embrace "Even if they were pirates… Even if they committed acts of violence in the world… They didn't deserve this!"_

" _Of course they don't, and I so wish we could've prevented it. However, that man is dangerous, and for the success of our mission, we cannot cross him; Alabasta and your father depends on our survival!"_

" _He's not a man! He's not even human! No human being would do something so atrocious!" Vivi screamed._

"… _Yes. Of course not… He's much too far gone for that…" Igaram shuddered._

 _For the rest of her time as an infiltrator, Vivi was never able to get that image out of her head. When she was sent on missions, she made sure to never get paired up with the cannibalistic enforcer again._

 _Igaram couldn't eat for a week after witnessing the day's horrors, and neither could she. They reminded themselves constantly that, should their mission to discover the boss's identity fail, this man- this demon- would be feasting on their fellow citizens next._

 _They have to succeed, no matter what._

 **Flashback end:**

Vivi was almost crying when she finished that story. Of course the first thing that came to the minds of the crew was:

"THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE THAT HAS THE SAME POWER AS GIAN?!" Usopp screamed.

"I know you've said that there are other Kaiju-Zoan users out there… but for us to encounter one this soon?" Zoro exclaimed.

"We're in for one hell of a battle…" Sanji muttered.

"This Kaiju-Zoan user… he has truly abandoned what makes him human…" Gian hissed "Throwing away basic morals to submit to his primal urges…" he growled, before placing a comforting hand on Vivi's head.

"We're going to stop them. We have to." He finally understood why Vivi was fearful of his Kaiju-Zoan transformation back when they joined together at Whiskey Peak. He was going to correct that image in her head.

The princess looked up and nodded, tears still in her eyes. She looked around the ship and saw that everyone else was just as determined to stop Baroque Works from taking over her country. These pirates, who have been asked to simply provide her escort, will go this far for her. It made her remember what is important.

"Full speed ahead!" Luffy declared.

They still have a little ways to go, but now with some knowledge on what the enemy could possibly be. Gian looked out to sea, in the direction of Alabasta. He's got a gut feeling that, whatever happens, Crocodile will no doubt send Mr. 0.5 after them if they catch his attention.

" _I don't know who you are, but if you even have the slightest notion of making a meal out of my nakama, then I will end you."_ He vowed internally.

 _Still later:_

"There is no food…" Luffy whined as he could barely grasp his fishing pole.

"We've been fishing for over a day now…" Usopp joined in. The crew was getting tired now. Sanji had gone into the kitchen, hoping to find some slight morsel that Luffy might have missed.

"One of these days we're going to have to sanction how much food you receive every day…" Gian sighed. Hunger wasn't exactly on his mind right now, especially not after the discussion the day prior. However, the longer the day drags on the more apparent it becomes, and soon it will be impossible to ignore it.

It seems luck was on their side however, as Luffy's line suddenly began to tug. Yelping with glee the crew quickly reeled it in, hoping for their first meal in a while. Dismay soon set in when they realized what their catch really is.

"You're not food… You're an okama!" Luffy mumbled.

"I'd never thought I'd see a crossdresser in real life." Gian noted. He's heard of stories of people like the one in front of them right now, but never saw one until today.

It was a person, dressed in ballet clothing with the theme of a swan. He was fairly skinny, and his clothing were very brightly colored. Make up was strewn across the man's face. All in all, it was quite an oddity.

"Why yes, I am an okama. I was supposed to be helping a co-worker of mine with an assignment, but then I fell overboard. It's a good thing you folks were here to rescue me!" the okama replied.

"Are not able to swim?" Zoro wondered.

"Oh, yeah. I would be able to have I not eaten a devil fruit. It has been most useful for me, except of the few times I fall in water. I'm afraid that's unavoidable."

"Oh? You have a devil fruit? What does it do?" Luffy asked again.

"I'm glad you mentioned it! Well, considering that my ship is probably going to take a while to find me, I might as well do a live demonstration. Now watch closely, because… HERE IT IS!" without warning the okama reared his hand back and delivered a powerful slap to the captain of the strawhats, knocking the boy through a door.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing?!" Zoro and Gian both drew their weapons, glaring at the now laughing man, only to get the surprise of their lives.

"Whoa! Whoa! Don't be so hasty! You see, that was part of the trick!" the okama spoke to them, only rather than his loud boisterous voice, it was the voice of Luffy! In fact, the face grinning back at them was that of their captain!

"W-what the? What kind of-" the crewmembers were at a loss of words. Every detail on his face, down to the smallest hair, was exactly like Luffy's. If the okama wasn't wearing different clothing, it would've been indistinguishable.

"Wow, it's me!" Luffy soon got over the shock and looked gleefully at the transformed okama.

"This is the power of the Mane Mane no Mi, when my right hand touches anything, I can then touch my own face to turn my features to theirs! Then, a simple tag of my left hand will turn me back!" and he did just that, and just like he said Luffy's face returned to that of the okama's.

"Every detail… from his voice to his physique!" Nami and Usopp were awed "They're all the same!"

The okama then lightly tapped everyone else's faces, minus Sanji who was in the kitchen at the moment.

"Sorry for hitting you earlier, I actually don't need to do that! I just did it for dramatic effect! But as you can see, once my right hand touches my face, I can mimic everybody!" he then swapped faces of each member of the crew, and they were as detailed as Luffy's imitation, before stopping at Nami's. "Yup, every detail! Even the body!" and he promptly dropped his clothes, much to the excitement of the 3 youngest crewmembers, though in Luffy and Chopper's case they seemed to be just copying what Usopp was doing. Regardless, that merriment ended when Nami drove her fist into the okama's head.

"KNOCK IT OFF!"

"Usopp you are a bad influence on the children…" Gian shook his head as he shielded Chopper and Luffy from any further corruption.

"What are you talking about?! Don't think I don't see you sneaking a peek as well!" the sniper accused.

"You have no proof of such action taking place and I deny such a heinous accusation." Gian replied. Besides, it was only for a fraction of a second, and he's grown!

"Well, aside from that, I'm also able to save the faces I've imitated before for later use!" the recovered okama proceeded to shuffle through multiple faces. One in particular made the princess of Alabasta wide eyed in fear.

"So exciting!" Luffy coursed "Show us more!"

Before the okama could comply, a swan like ship is seen sailing towards them.

"Alas, I must disembark with you fine folk. It seems like the time to say goodbye has come." He mumbled in a melancholy voice.

"Nooo! Don't leave!" the 3 youngest members all cried.

"Do not fret! Journeys are always accompanied by farewells! But! Do not forget this! Our friendship… is not determined by how long we've known each other!" the okama bit a tearful goodbye before leaping aboard his ship.

"Wow… for an eccentric fellow he's actually quite philosophical." Gian noted.

"It would've been nice to know that before all that acting…" Zoro muttered.

"Lighten up, I enjoyed it."

"That's because you're you."

"WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!"

"Alright! Set sail!" the okama declared.

"Right away, Mr. 2 Bon Kurei-sama!"

That name drop suddenly made everyone alert.

* * *

"T-that was Mr. 2?" Luffy yelped.

"The enemy was on our ship just now!" Gian realized.

"Why did you not tell us before?!" Zoro snapped at the princess.

"I-I've never met Mr.2 before… I've never even met Mr. 1 and his partner!" Vivi replied "One of those faces he showed earlier… it was that of my father's! He has a face of King Nefertari Cobra's stored up!"

"And he just revealed to us a dangerous power… with such a powerful mimicry ability, it's clear that Mr. 2 is a master of deceit." Gian muttered. "Whatever Crocodile needs him for, my guess is that it has something to do with that ability of his."

"However, it could also be good luck for us." Zoro grinned "Now that we've seen what it can do, we'll know how to counter it."

"I like the way you think, Zoro." Gian grinned back.

 _Even Later:_

The coastline of Alabasta was a bustling commercial center. Many shops dotted the shore, and business was booming. After sneaking past the ships of multiple Billions, the crew managed to disembark successfully.

"I CAN FINALLY EAT!" Luffy cheered as he dashed off to find the nearest restaurant.

"I swear… he can't sit still for one minute…" Gian scowled, before turning to the rest of the crew "Everyone got their identification?"

The remaining crewmembers nodded and raised their arms; each of them had a small white ribbon tied around their wrist. Gian managed to put one on Luffy before he made off, and for good reason too. This was the method they chose to identify themselves, should Mr. 2 ever sneak past their ranks again.

"Why do I need to wear one again?" Sanji asked; being in the kitchen at the time he was not seen by the okama, thus was not identified.

"Better safe than sorry." Gian replied "Guess I'll go after Luffy then, let's get what we need and leave before any unwanted attention catches us."

It took a bit, but Gian finally found the restaurant that Luffy was currently at. This was evident by the large hole in the wall. Clearly Luffy was too hungry.

"Dammit… I was too late…" he sighed before entering, and sure enough there he was, munching on large plates of food.

"We'll pay for the damages when we can…" Gian apologized.

"Don't worry about that, we've had too many weird characters today to be concerned about money at this point…" The owner shrugged.

"Yeah, I know how that feels, we'll just pay for the meal and- SHIT!"

Fate really was rather cruel to him sometimes.

* * *

"What a surprise… both you and Strawhat is here…" Captain Smoker drawled as he stepped out from one of the many cave-ins.

"Chaser! Aren't you looking just dapper today?" Gian gave a shaky grin.

" _WHY THE HELL IS HE HERE?!"_ his interior voice screamed.

"I knew you would come to Alabasta eventually, and here you are…" Smoker growled as he stared intently at the 2 pirates. Luffy, however, did not seem to realize the danger he's in.

"…STOP EATING!" Both of them screamed at the boy.

A few more seconds past before Luffy stopped chewing and blinked. Only then he realize what is going on.

"Oi! Isn't he the marine we met at Loguetown?!" Luffy yelped as the memories came back.

"Yup! And you know what that means? Time to bolt! So calm your jaws for a few seconds or you will never be able to eat again!" Gian seethed.

"Ok! Just one sec!" Luffy stuffed all the remaining food into his cheeks "Thank you for the meal!" then he turned and ran.

"AT LEAST CHEW!" Gian dashed after him.

"GET BACK HERE!" Smoker roared as he gave chase.

And just like that, the entire marine squadron under Smoker somehow got involved and gave chase.

"Just for the record Luffy, if I die you stay away from my funeral!" Gian snapped as the two of them kept running. No matter what they did it seemed like the marines were continuously chasing them.

"But we can't bury you on a ship… we'll sink!" Luffy tipped his head.

"JUST KEEP RUNNING GODDAMMIT!"

"Waaah! They just won't quit! Gian can't you transform and scare them off?!"

"First of all, Smoker isn't afraid of that, and even if he was, we're in the middle of a town! If I transform now people are going to get hurt!"

Soon, they could make out the figures of the others all dressed in desert clothing. The crew were wide eyed as they realized the large troop of marines chasing after the two.

"What the hell did you two get into this time?!" Zoro snapped.

"Ask him! He's the one Smoker found first!" Gian shouted "Less blaming, more running please!"

"I'll capture you all here! You two are mine! **White Blow!"**

The dense cloud of smoke snaked out of his arm and was almost upon the two. Almost, until-

" **Kagerou!"**

A masculine voice sounded as the smoke stream was intercepted by a wave of fire. The heat was on par to that of Gian's untransformed **Atom Ray.** Upon hearing the voice Luffy's eyes became saucers.

"That voice… You mean-"

"You again…" Smoker growled at the newcomer.

The fire stayed in place for a while, before shifting around and concentrating into the form of another man. He was about the same age as Gian, maybe just a few years younger. His entire torso was bare, aside from carrying a sack, all the man wore were black shorts, an orange hat, and a red pearl necklace. Streams of fire were still billowing off of him as he gave the marines a confident grin.

"Give it up, do you really think that I would let you guys take my little brother?"

"It is… it is him! Ace!"

And the man looked back and gave the biggest smile he could.

 **A/N: I'VE RETURNED! I AM NOT DEAD! I AM DONE FINALS AND ALL MY HOLIDAY NECESSITIES!**

 **G: I AM OUT OF PURGATORY! I AM FREE!**

 **Yeah… the last few weeks were very stressful. Note to people still in high school, be prepared to write finals, a lot of it! But all that is done now! I can get back to writing again, and what a better way to start up with the biggest arc as of this point?**

 **So yeah, I'm going to leave most of the Ace encounter to the next chapter. From what it looks like the Alabasta Arc may take up to 6 chapters to finish, give or take. And I'm excited to do all of it. I theoretically should have nothing to distract me until school starts up again, so I'll hopefully get one last chapter out before the year ends. I've seen Rogue One (if you still have not seen it go, like right now), done all the holiday stuff, and hopefully Pokemon Sun will not keep me distracted! Think of this as a late Christmas present/early New Year's present or something!**

 **So with that, we'll see you next time!**

 **Responses to reviews!**

 **To Chance Green G King:**

 **Team ups will happen, though not here. One that you can expect happens some time during the new world however! The most recent will happen not with an opposing Kaiju-Zoan, but someone you'd probably not expect.**

 **To JayH120:**

 **I can tell you one thing. The fight will be no holds barred.**

 **G: BLOWN BACK.**

 **To Tamagat:**

 **There probably will be a team combo move soon, I'm thinking how they would work.**

 **Also the romance in this story will be mostly be on the side. One Piece is not a series that has love as a general concept. As you will see later, Robin will be providing a role as more than just Gian's love interest, as she plays a pretty important role for him.**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **G: All animals love me!**

 **Super toilet**

 **G: AAAAHHH SO! MUCH! CLOGGING!**

 **To Guest/haruaji11:**

 **G: I REFUSE**

… **but you're the one who wanted to do this.**

 **G: I just like refusing people who think-**

 **ENOUGH WITH THE ROHAN ALREADY**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **And it's here! Quite a lot of stuff to be added too!**

 **To Matt:**

 **G: Only I make puns.**

 **How about no puns?**

 **G: Never**

 **To omegadramon2:**

 **Well he won, so at least that much was correct…**

 **To Guest:**

 **G: This man has not heard of the glorious experience that is Jojo's Bizarre Adventures. We must teach him the ways.**

 **Don't you mean the GOLD experience?**

 **G: I don't think he's even watched it, otherwise he'd get my references, let alone Wrrryd the manga…**

 **Oh boy then take a seat, we are going to be here for a while.**

 **Hope you all like this chapter! We'll be back!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will Marry Celesteela.**

 **G: That thing is genderless…**


	36. Fire Fist

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Alabasta Arc opening: Know Know Know by Does (Gintama Op. 15)**

"You sure know where to pick your locations, Luffy!" the man, now known as Ace, smirked at the Strawhat boy "Though this isn't really a good place for a conversation." Embers were still floating around the man, no fear was in his eyes as he stood between his brother and the marines.

"So how about this? You get out of here right now and we'll catch up later."

"Shishishi, sure thing Ace!" Luffy laughed before running off.

"I don't think so!" Smoker snarled and was about to charge forward once more, but Ace didn't budge "Portgas D. Ace, step out of the way at once!"

"I've told you already, you won't lay a hand on my brother! So you can just forget about this and be on your merry way." Ace grinned back.

"You're making this very difficult…" Smoker growled as a billowing wall of smoke shot forward, only to be matched full-force by a wall of fire.

"Yeah… that's what I intend to do. After all, our devil fruits are evenly matched!" Ace grinned as more fire swirled around him, making the marines cry in shock.

Smoker snarled at this; his job just got a lot more difficult.

 _Meanwhile:_

"Luffy, who was that?" Nami asked as the group continued their escape towards the Merry.

"Shishishi, that's Ace, he's my brother!" the boy responded proudly "I haven't seen him in a long time! He even ate a devil fruit!"

"I hope he's going to be alright… Smoker isn't the kind of marine you just walk away from…" Gian cast a worried glance.

"Don't worry, Ace is stronger than that!" Luffy grinned.

Indeed, just as he said so, a massive pillar of smoke and fire shot up into the air. The crew were in awe of such a display of power.

"See?" Luffy laughed.

"Fire… I've heard about this before… That's the power of the Mera Mera no Mi…" Gian stated "Your brother is packing serious heat with him, no pun intended!" The Mera Mera no Mi is an exceptionally powerful Logia, and under the right hands it's power is beyond comparison. Whatever kind of person Ace is, he clearly shows a degree of high mastery with said power.

"Is he really your brother? You two are nothing alike…" Nami asked again.

"Yup! And he's a pirate too! He set off 3 years before I did. I wonder how's he's been these days."

"Well, let's get back to the ship first… we wouldn't want to get caught in the crossfire… once again, no pun intended." Gian nodded before they set off again.

Soon, the Going Merry was speeding away from the coastal city, intending to dock at a safer location. By now questions were piling up about the two brothers.

"Ace is 3 years older than me! He very strong too! Before we'd used to spar and I've never beaten him once."

"It's believable that you couldn't. While we were escaping I managed to catch a glimpse of his back. Ace isn't just a regular pirate, he's one of the 16 sons of Whitebeard!" Gian responded.

* * *

The group's eyes widened. After all, Whitebeard's name is one that rings across the seas. Not one seagoing individual has not heard of the elderly Yonko, whose phenomenal strength rivaled that of the former pirate king himself.

"Your brother is that strong?!" Nami yelped again.

"I don't know who Whitebeard is, but Ace is pretty strong! I couldn't beat him even before he ate his devil fruit. Though I'm pretty sure now I can beat him!" Luffy declared. The crew all knew how strong Luffy is, if he's ever defeated his brother in a spar… then just how strong was Ace?!

"Oh? And just who are you going to beat?"

Luffy gave a delighted laugh as Ace vaulted onto the ship. Now the crew could see the man in a better light. Indeed he is older than Luffy, with a much more mature posture and personality, very good looking too. And strewn across his back was a tattooed purple cross with a white crescent across it; the insignia of the Whitebeard Pirates. Another smaller tattoo was on the side of left arm, was the letter A, S, C and E with the letter S crossed out.

"You must be my brother's crew. Thank you all for looking after him all this time." Ace gave a bow. "I know he can be really brash and has no manners sometimes, so I apologize if he gave you any difficulties."

"So polite…" Nami mumbled "Are those two actually related?" seriously, the two were almost completely different in terms of personality! The rest of the crew had similar thoughts; they all thought Ace was going to be a jerkish ass, but as it turns out he is surprisingly proper!

"See, don't they just crack you up?" Luffy laughed at their reactions.

"You really are a member of the Whitebeard pirates…" Gian mumbled as he observed the tattoo.

"Yup, Captain of the Second Division actually!" Ace grinned proudly "Which reminds me, I've got a preposition. Luffy, how'd you and the rest of your crew like to join the Whitebeard Pirates?"

"Seriously?! This is a big deal you're asking of us!" Gian pointed out. Being under the wing of one of the Yonko means that they will never be threatened! No pirate is foolish enough to attack one directly, let alone one of their subordinates. It was the same thing with while he was travelling with Shanks.

"No!" Luffy's response was quick however.

"Whitebeard is called the strongest man in the world for a reason. If you continue this path you two might have to face each other one day. Are you really sure you can take him on?" Ace pressed on.

"If that happens I'll beat him!" Luffy declared. To this response Ace let out a jolly laugh.

"Ah… you haven't changed a bit…" he grinned "Well, I'm feeling happy today. I'm on a rather tight schedule right now, but since I haven't seen my little brother for a while along with the fact I'd like to get to know you guys better I think I'll tag along for a bit, probably until your next destination."

"That's awesome!" Luffy gave a wide smile. But before they could celebrate, a loud cannon shot was heard. The crew looked behind to see 5 ships sailing towards them, all bearing the jolly roger of Baroque Works.

"They found us!" Vivi cried out.

"Well, isn't that annoying… You guys just sit tight, I'll handle them." With that Ace leapt overboard onto what appears to be a yellow, streamlined raft. Activating his Devil Fruit power he surfed towards the 5 ships. Right as he was close to one he kick-jumped off the raft, sending it into the water, he then somersault over them before landing on the raft on the other side, before rearing back his right fist.

" **Hiken!"**

A surge of fire gather around his arm before shooting out in the form of a massive fist of flames. It tore cleanly through each of the five ships, sinking them all at once. Aboard the Merry, the crew were wide-eyed at the raw display of power.

"WAAAHHH ACE IS SO COOL!" Chopper and Usopp cried.

"This is the power of one of Whitebeard's captains…" Gian was in awe.

"Why is Ace so much cooler than Luffy?!" Zoro groaned. He respected his captain plenty, but after seeing all that? Come on!

"None of this makes any sense…" Sanji mumbled. Just what kind of people are in this crazy family?!

Luffy only laughed happily at his brother, while Nami once again wondered how the two are brothers in the first place.

 _Later:_

It seems that the crew had found a place to disembark safely without any trouble this time. Vivi told them that it's the estuarine of the Sandoras River, the main river of Alabasta. It would then be few hours walk to the town of Yuba, supposedly where the Rebel army is located currently. Apparently Vivi was familiar with their leader, and she hoped to talk to him. Meanwhile Carue has been sent to the capital with word of her arrival. During this time the crew changed into the clothing that were more suited for a desert climate, curtsey of the princess. They were quick to make small talk with Ace, and found that it was incredibly hard to dislike the man. Ace was essentially a more mature Luffy, very approachable but not overbearing. Although, more than once did the crew witness his strange habit of falling asleep without warning.

However a loud splash near the river quickly diverted them from their conversation. It seems that something was near, and it revealed itself to the crew. Leaping out of the water, a furry animal that resembled a seal wearing a turtle shell hollered at them.

"Is that a turtle?" Zoro quipped.

"No looks more like a seal…" Luffy proposed.

"It's Master Roshi!" Gian pointed.

"…Who?" everyone sweatdropped at the random answer.

"Never mind…" Gian sighed.

"It's a Kung Fu Dugong! Vivi shouted.

"You must fight me if you want to disembark here. Of course, if you're a weakling then please disembark on the opposite bank' is what he said." Chopper translated for them.

"Weakling eh? I do hate being called that, so here I come!" Usopp stated before leaping overboard, in spite of Vivi's warning. Indeed shortly after he lay battered and bruised with the dugong raising its flippers in victory.

"Usopp-san, Kung Fu Dugongs are very strong!" the princess informed him, albeit slightly late.

Strength doesn't seem to be the issue for two members of the crew however, soon Luffy stood laughing victoriously with a dugong lying unconscious by his feet.

"AHAHAHA! I WON!"

A few feet away, a group of dugongs were suddenly sent flying back as Gian emerged from a pile of them as well, laughing all the while.

"Skrehahaha! I live for this!"

"Don't you like animals?!" those who remained on the ship chided.

"Hey they wanted this to happen so I gave it to them, no big deal."

The dugongs were not down however, and soon got back up. They lined up in front of the victorious duo before giving a bow of respect, which gave the two of them quite a surprise.

"Also, I should mention that when a Kung Fu Dugong is defeated, they will then become the followers of the one that defeated them." Vivi explained this peculiar behavior.

"Wow… really hardcore martial artists aren't they?" Zoro noted.

Apparently what she said was true, as just a few moments later a much bigger group of dugongs surrounded the two, all with admiration in their eyes.

"THEY MANAGED TO GATHER MORE FOLLOWERS WHILE WE WERE TALKING?!" Vivi deadpanned.

"Prepare yourself for defeat, Gian! My disciples will triumph over yours!" Luffy pointed a finger at the Kaiju-Zoan user while a group of sea mammals cheered.

"Ah, how overconfident of you! Know that the Monster Seal Squadron is the undefeated masters of these parts! Face me, and you shall only know pain!" Gian declared dramatically as another group of dugongs gave a cry, somehow all of them are wearing rubber dorsal fins similar to the ones seen on him when he transforms.

"Where did he get those...?" Usopp mumbled.

"…Does this happen often?" Ace perked an eyebrow.

"…More than you think…" Nami hung her head.

After a bit of fooling around, the two had to be reminded that they still have to get to their destination. The two were then gleefully proceeded to lead the way with their massive army of dugongs.

"YOU GUYS ARE TAKING THEM WITH US?!" Zoro snapped.

"Can you two get serious?!" Nami shouted.

"Luffy-san, Gian-san, dugongs can't survive in the desert. They need salt water." Vivi tried to coax.

"Well, then it seems like it's goodbye then… YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST FOLLOWERS A MASTER COULD ASK FOR. WROOOAAAGHHHH" The Kaiju-Zoan user buried his face into the crowd of sea mammals as they all cried, all the while the background surrounding them turned dark, save for a bright spotlight where they stood while cherry blossom petals fell steadily (this greatly confused all those who were watching). The ones with Luffy clearly didn't want to leave him either.

" _So cute…_ " the two girls faltered. Do they really have to be so mean?

Eventually Chopper had to give them a good portion of their food supply in order for them to finally part ways, but not before Gian gave his troop one final group hug.

 _Later:_

"Smitzee was such a good student… his flipper techniques could probably smash a boulder at this point… then there was Boris… he was always the most eager to learn… of course there is always-"

"He seriously gave them names?" Sanji deadpanned.

"He forges attachments too easily and he can't let go…" Chopper commented.

"Weren't they only together for like less than 10 minutes though?" Usopp sighed.

"IT MAY HAVE ONLY BEEN 10 MINUTES BUT TO ME THEY WERE THE BEST 10 MINUTES OF MY LIFE!" Gian shouted in the distance, still depressed over his sea-going friends.

"We get it… don't have to shout…"

"It's so hot…" Luffy groaned as he was dragged behind on a wooden plank. Being a desert country Alabasta is naturally very dry, and this was getting to everybody. Fortunately they still have a bit of water left, but most of their food was given to the dugongs. The captain's tongue was lolled out and his eyes were swirled.

"He has a point… this is kind of pushing it a little bit." Gian panted. He could handle heat pretty, but with the sweat pouring off of him at the moment, that didn't really matter much. The fact that the crew passed multiple abandoned towns also further aroused suspicion. This peaked when, upon observation, the crew realized that these towns were either all partially buried under sand, or have the remains of those unlucky enough to be caught into it. When that topic was brought up, Vivi grew a solemn expression on her face.

"It used to not be like this" Vivi mumbled sadly "In the past this part of the country was actually quite prosperous. They knew how to adapt to the environment. Rain is not very common, but people are still able to survive."

"The rest of the country also had their ways of surviving without constant rainfall. This wouldn't be a problem, had the incident not occurred…" Vivi continued "Alubarna, our capital city, was the center of a major scandal. A cargo delivery to the king's palace turned out to house an illegal substance: Dance Powder."

"Dance Powder? That sounds like a lot of fun!" Luffy commented.

"And by all means it should be, it does accelerate rainfall after all…" Vivi trailed off "Except there's a catch. In the process of speeding up rain, the dance powder uses up moisture from clouds that aren't ready to rain yet. This results in the cloud using up all its moisture up at once."

"Which means, it's essentially stealing rain from neighboring countries, am I right?" Gian deduced.

"That's correct. Because of this, the product is officially outlawed by the World Government. So what do you think people will think when they heard they're king had smuggled Dance Powder into his city?"

"So there we have it, the while gist of Crocodile's plan." Gian realized "By sowing the seeds of mistrust between monarch and citizen, he can easily orchestrate a civil war right beneath their noses. Then during the chaos he can just step in and reap the benefits!"

"And it only worsened when one year, the entire country didn't see a drop of rain, all except for Alubarna. People began blaming the king for the ongoing drought, and soon after a rebellion began, and it's all due to him!" Vivi cried. The rage towards the shichibukai for putting her country into such a state is all the more evident.

"We're definitely going to kick Crocodile's ass now…" Luffy growled, all previous signs of exhaustion gone. The rest of the crew all nodded grimly. Their upcoming fight just put a lot more on the line.

 _Later:_

It was nighttime now, they have been travelling for the entire day now and Vivi estimated there would be another half's day of travel to get to Yuba. By now Gian could feel the cold of the desert at night, and he once again reminded himself to thank the princess for picking these clothes out.

Everybody else had eaten already and are now asleep; during their trek earlier in the day they managed to luck out by finding 2 massive lizards looking for a meal, only to be turned into one themselves. Having dealt with similar animals back on Solgell made this all the easier for Gian and they should have enough food to last them until all this is over. They also made a new companion in the form of Eyelashes the camel, who provided much needed transportation over the desert sands. Unfortunately for the boys, only the two ladies of the group were allowed to ride on his back, much to their displeasure when they realized they now had a perverted camel to deal with.

Sitting by the fire, Gian's thoughts kept drifting towards Baroque Works, particularly their so-called enforcer, Mr. 0.5. Even though they were both Kaiju-Zoan users, Gian found himself wondering how their confrontation will go. Even Triton-Senpai never really trained him in how to actually fight another with the same power as he does. And the very thought of seeing one this soon is something he had to prepare for.

Because of this, his thoughts then reminded him of the mysterious message that Baroque Works' Second in Command left him.

" _The Age of Kaiju is returning, and soon you will be at the center of it."_

What did Miss All-Sunday mean by that?! Gian had pushed this thought to the back of his head prior to their arrival, but now that they were so close to the enemy, it came back full force.

" _Does Mr. 0.5 have something to do with this as well? And does all of this have anything to do with the stone block I saw on Little Garden?"_

He really disliked getting left in the dark.

"You should take a break, I'll take over from here." Gian was dashed from his thoughts when he heard Portgas D. Ace approaching him. The Kaiju-Zoan user was previously keeping watch for the night while the rest of his nakama slept. For the duration of the trip Ace has not commented much on their mission, believing it to be something that his little brother will be able to handle. All this time Gian hasn't really talked to him all that much.

"I'm fine, don't need much sleep." Was Gian's reply.

"Well I'm up anyway, might as well keep you company for a while since I'm probably not going back to sleep any time soon." The fire user told him.

"Wouldn't count on that much, I'd much rather you not suddenly drop on your face." Gian smirked, earning a chuckle out of Ace.

"Yeah, that would be the easy way out."

They sat in silence for a while, before Ace spoke up again.

"So how did you meet Luffy?"

"If I told you him and I beat up another group of pirates before he invited me to join his crew, would you believe me?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Ace chuckled "He was always saying how he's gonna be a pirate before I left, it sounded so silly at the time but I always knew he was going to do it anyway."

"I didn't believe it at first either, but he's pretty passionate about his dream, and that's somehow manage to convince me. Most other people would be broken by the time they reached here but he just keep going."

"Good to see him actually out here, nonetheless, he's picked up a lot of good friends too." Ace gave a content sigh "Though I wouldn't have guessed that his first nakama is a Kaiju-Zoan user."

* * *

Seeing Gian's alarmed expression Ace raised his hands up "Ok, I admit. I kind of figured it out back when we first met. Considering what I normally do it isn't that hard. You all have the same aura after all."

"…Aura?" Gian perked up "What's aura."

"I can't really explain it, I only got a bit of a briefing on it, and I'm not even sure if that's what it's actually called. Vercelli did say something about all Kaiju-Zoan's give off a form of primal energy that can be felt by those with the same power, as well as those who have been around one for extended periods of time. Supposedly this would allow people to feel the monster within them, but he was pretty drunk at the time so he might've slipped on some of the details- Vercelli is one of the guys under my division by the way." Ace explained.

* * *

"There's a Kaiju-Zoan user in the Whitebeard Pirates?!" to be fair, it wasn't as surprising as it could've been. Considering Whitebeard's position as a Yonko it's not farfetched for him to encounter a few of them. Still, having Ace be familiar with the concept was not something he expected.

"Oh yeah, Vercelli's a great guy. Gets on Marco's sometimes, but he's loyal to the old man and the rest of them. Apparently he was considered to be the 2nd Division's captain instead but he didn't want and it fell to me. Who knows, the two of you might meet one day." Ace shrugged "But yeah, that's kind of how I figured you had a Kaiju-Zoan power. You and he give off a similar aura, and even if he didn't Luffy told me earlier anyway."

"That's something else Triton-senpai didn't tell me…" Gian mumbled, though he wasn't surprised about his captain's big mouth. The Strawhat boy was always begging him to show off a Full Transformation, usually while they were on the Merry, even though he's seen it a few times now. Gian often had to remind him that unless he wanted them to sink, he won't do it until they need to.

"Anyway, it's not a big deal really. I'm actually quite glad that Luffy's got a strong first mate such as yourself, though I might be biased considering my own experiences."

"I wouldn't put too much emphasis on the strength, considering he could solve problems on his own, even though he's the cause of most of them." Ace had to laugh at that.

"Yup, that sounds like him alright! Always the one getting into trouble. It really is a breath of fresh air to see him again."

"If I may ask, what are you doing out here anyway? From what I've heard it's not very often that the Whitebeard Pirates leave the New World, if at all."

Ace's smile dropped when the question was brought up. "I'm looking for someone, someone who has a lot to pay for."

"…What were they to you?" hearing the tone of his voice Gian figured out the reason behind that implication. Whoever this person was, they've clearly done something unforgiveable.

"He was someone who I thought I could trust, until he stabbed one of our own in the back." Was all Ace revealed "Pops already knows about this; me hunting him down is for his sake as well."

Gian nodded when he heard that; during his time aboard the Red Force the Red Hair Pirates filled him in on some of the information of the other 3 emperors of the sea. From what they told him, Whitebeard puts quite a bit of emphasis on family, a term fit for his crew. It's clear that this philosophy has been passed down to Ace as well.

"But that's enough negativity for one night!" Ace declared, going back to his more cheerful self "I want to know more about you! Luffy said something about you being familiar with Red Hair Shanks, what was that like."

"Let's just say, I now have extensive experience in how to deal with drunk people." Gian joked, earning another laugh out of the 2nd Division Captain "But Shanks-san was the one who showed me my new life, he, and the rest of them by default, were the ones that let me choose my future. I am forever honored to have met them."

"He is a great man isn't he? I still owe him for saving Luffy back in the day." Ace replied "Did he ever tell you how he lost his arm?"

"He did, I got the rest of the story out of Luffy. Still find it hard to believe how a guy can stare a Sea King in the face but can't control his liquor." Gian joked, earning another laugh from Ace.

The two of them talked a bit more, until the embers of their fire was about to die down. They then prepared to get a few more hours of sleep before daybreak.

"I'm thinking about heading off again tomorrow morning, it really was nice meeting all of you." Ace sighed "Can I ask you of one more thing please?"

"As long as it doesn't involve me having to ingest any inedible things, I'm down for everything."

"Please, use your power to watch over all of them, especially Luffy."

"Now that goes without saying, although they can all take care of themselves quite well. And even though I wonder sometimes what Luffy's got between his ears I have no doubt of his skills as a captain."

"I am sure of that, it may just be me worried about him. He used to be such a crybaby and now he's the captain of his own crew! Luffy's really impulsive at times, he can be a real pain to deal with sometimes. But I can assure you that he's a good boy and he has a pure heart. As a request from an older brother, I just ask that you watch his back."

"I definitely know where you're coming from with this; I have my own brothers at home after all. And you don't need to worry about a thing, Ace. I, all of us, will stand with him for as long as he need us. No matter how many times he gets on our nerves."

"That's all I need to hear." Ace smiled.

 _Next Morning:_

"Awww can't you stay any longer?" Luffy whined as Ace gave everybody a fond farewell. It was time for him to return to his own mission.

"A man's gotta make it on his own out on these seas, so I'm off. I wish I could help you guys, but this is your fight." Ace gave an apologetic smile to his little brother.

"But time went by so fast…" Luffy whined again.

"Don't miss me that much…" Ace chuckled, before reaching into his pockets and tossing a small piece of paper at Luffy.

"What's this for?"

"That's a Vivre Card. If you ever want to find me again just follow that. You will always be able to find me by following that."

"Wow… I can actually keep this?"

"Of course you idiot! Why else would I give it to you?" he then turned to the remaining members of the crew "Please watch over my little brother like always! I wish you all the most success."

"Yeah, we're used to that by now." Zoro grinned, earning a laugh out of everyone.

Eventually Ace began his return trip towards the shore, just as he grew more distant he look back and gave Luffy one more grin.

"You got a great crew, Luffy! Keep getting stronger, I'll meet you at the top!" he shouted back.

Luffy's grin grew even wider at that "YOU CAN COUNT ON IT!" the heartwarming farewell was felt by everyone.

"Brotherhood is an amazing thing…" Chopper commented.

"I miss my brothers now…" Gian sighed.

"Alright! Let's continue onward to Yuba!" Luffy declared. Before they left, Gian gave one last look at the horizon where Ace's figure was getting smaller and smaller. A small smile played on his lips. Although their time was short, he had gained great respect for the user of the Mera Mera no Mi in the last few hours. Both as a person and as two brothers.

" _I hope we meet again one day, Portgas D. Ace."_ He thought before turning and following his nakama.

If only they knew, just what kind of place and situation their next meeting would be…

 **A/N: Well, here's the first chapter after the New Year. I'm hoping I can have a better update schedule this time around, but after seeing my new classes I'm gonna have to rely on the old one. Too much work right now, and it's only the beginning of the semester!**

 **I wanted this chapter to be have more stuff in it, but I got caught up in exploring character bonding and so the result was having that big conversation between Gian and Ace near the end. The next chapter should have less emotional things and more action, and hopefully get further along than this one! Consider this chapter somewhat filler if you will.**

 **Responses to reviews:**

 **To Change Green G King:**

 **The first team up is actually going to be much sooner than that, and you are actually on the mark about part of it.**

 **To anquan16:**

 **G: You're support is well appreciated and the rest of the group thank you for it.**

 **Bless up.**

 **To tamagat:**

 **I… really don't think that would work.**

 **G: Can it even work?**

 **We can make it work, we have the technology. But do you want one?**

 **G: I am so conflicted.**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **G: Why must I be betrothed to Pokemon in the first place?**

 **It's a social experiment.**

 **G: WHAT KIND OF SOCIAL EXPERIMENT IS-**

 **Moving on!**

 **To Guest:**

 **G: Who the hell is Law?**

 **You'll know when you see him. In the looks department he might even look better than you.**

 **G: That aside, this man's got magic hands! I didn't even know my ass looks that fantastic!**

… **I have no comment.**

 **To Johnny Spectre:**

 **Well that's one of the list…**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **Rumble Balls are going to have to wait, but some heart to heart moments are here!**

 **G: He really is a nice guy! I hope I get to see him again soon!**

… **You better prepare for it then.**

 **To ZooFan:**

 **I HAVE RETURNED**

 **G: HASSA DU TEMPLARI**

… **is that even how you spell that?**

 **To haruaji11:**

 **I am curled into a ball waiting to go to Italy right now, the wait is real.**

 **G: *also curled into a ball* what meaning is life? How does it even work?**

 **It Just Works.**

 **G: Shit.**

 **To all of Vergil Leonidas' reviews:**

 **G: It's ok, he hasn't reviewed the latest chapter yet.**

 **I KEEP FORGETTING I'M SORRY.**

 **G: I'm sure Rayquaza can be caught another day, but other people want to hear from you.**

 **AND I WANT MY DRAGON SO WHAT NOW?!**

 **You can expect Mr. 0.5 to appear shortly!**

 **And that's it for this chapter! We'll see you again next time!.**

 **Leave a review and Gian will draw a map.**

 **G: Then what is Nami supposed to do now? I can't steal jobs!**


	37. What's on the line?

**oDisclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Alabasta Arc opening: Know Know Know by Does (Gintama Op. 15)**

Rainbase is one of the larger cities within Alabasta, a shining orb within the middle of the desert. Although such a landscape does not seem like a place for such a prosperous settlement, Rainbase is able to maintain itself by attracting people from all walks of life. This is due to it being the hosting ground of a less than ideal form of lifestyle: Gambling. Indeed, the Rain Dinners Casino is a shining beacon for those who wish to get lucky or strike out.

Beneath the golden exterior lies a darker secret however.

Deep below the casino, away from all the vice, the members of Baroque Works are gathering for the first time. While normally the boss would give them all a mission through tele-communication, this time they were all congregating towards the blue room.

* * *

"I can't believe you! How dare you attack my subordinates?!" Mr. 2 shouted, except his two targets really did not wish to listen. Gritting his teeth, one of them looked back and gave him the sharpest glare he could. This man's head is shaven, his height tall, and very muscular. The kanji tattoo of the word "one" is imprinted on his broad chest. Clearly he was not amused.

"If they didn't want to be taught a lesson they should learn to be more professional." The man growled back.

"OOOOHHH! Mr. 1 You are just the most unreasonable person I've ever seen! I ought to-" the okama shrilled.

"Feel free to try! You won't last a minute-" Mr. 1 snarled, rearing his right fist back. Their fight would be interrupted by their 3rd companion, however.

"You two have been quarreling since the Spider Café... Stop impeding our arrival!" the woman snapped. As the partner of Mr. 1, Miss Doublefinger had expected this, with the fact that her stoic partner's personality is a direct conflict of the flamboyant Mr. 2's. She herself was one that wanted nothing to do with this. Her attire is something quite strange; a web like bikini top covered by a black jacket, and her bountiful blue hair trailing behind her. After making sure the two would stop fighting, she continued down the corridor; putting an over exaggerated push into her hip movements all the while.

After a bit, the door to the underground chamber was seen, and already they were waited upon. The ever calculating gaze of Miss All-Sunday looked at the group with an amused expression. Beside her, the obscured features of Baroque Work's enforcer was less than friendly. Mr. 0.5 certainly had nothing to worry about these agents in the past; they've all accomplish their missions without fail. However, with this final operation, even they would not be spared should they failed.

"It seems none of you knows how to get along." Miss All-Sunday smirked.

"You three certainly took your sweet time getting here…" the balaclava-clad assassin growled "This isn't exactly a homecoming you know?"

"Greetings, Mr. 0.5. We would've been here earlier, but this fool has made a mess of things." Mr. 1 bowed slightly.

"Stop joking around! I was the one that suggested coming here but this ruffian just wanted to pick a fight. Half-chan, you have to believe me!" the okama shot back.

"Just get inside! And quit being so chummy with me or you'll find half your face ripped open!" Mr. 0.5 snarled. The Boss never told him how weird some of their agents are; the two inside are already annoying enough. He might actually consider having to eat one of them by the time this is over.

"I will now lead you to the Boss." Miss All-Sunday announced, going on ahead of them. The others followed, and were led to a particularly well lit room. For its location under the casino, this base of operations was quite extravagant; a wide room with blue marble, a long table for meetings. 2 other agents have also gathered; one a rotund man with a bazooka strapped to his back, another a more elderly lady with a diminutive stature. And at the head of the table, sitting in his throne with a sinister sneer, was the hand behind all the problems in Alabasta.

Crocodile is as intimidating as one would expect, and he commanded absolute authority within the room. His condescending gaze swept across the subordinates he controlled, eyeing them and analyzing them through the guise of disinterest. Just by looking at the Shichibukai and you could tell that he does not mess around. His dark fur coat hung around his shoulders, a horizontal scar stitched across his face as he observed the remaining people. A golden hook replaced his left hand, its curved edge gleaming in the light. Even sitting down he appeared larger than many of his subordinates; this was a man who has experienced many things on the high seas.

One look from the remaining agents, and they could tell that this man is the one pulling all the strings, and it surprised them greatly. None of them had ever thought the leader of their organization was a member of the 7 Royal Shichibukai.

"Boss…" Mr. 1 bowed lightly "I would have not expected to be under the wing of a pirate."

"Ah… So this is Zero-Chan! We've been working for one of the Shichibukai all along…" Mr. 2 laughed uneasily

"So you were here the whole time? Why did you never tell us who you were?" Miss Doublefinger Questioned.

"SoBoss!Whatisthereasonforourgatheringtoday-ba?" the short woman asked, she spoke very rapidly, and to be point where it was actually rather hard to understand her. Might as well get this over with.

Crocodile grinned lightly. Everything Baroque Works has worked for is for this moment "I am about to reveal the true goal of Project Utopia to you." He spoke in a deep voice, fitting for a leader of a criminal organization. "You've all proven yourselves to be fitting for this operation." His smirk got bigger "Our true goal, is the takeover of this kingdom! By the time these plans are carried out, Alabasta shall fall!"

The agents were slightly surprised; they've never actually been told of what the organization's purpose truly is before. To Miss All-Sunday and Mr. 0.5 however, this news did not surprise them. They are already familiar with the inner workings of their plan. The agents read the papers with their orders on them, taking everything in.

Before Crocodile could continue, the door to the base suddenly burst open. His glasses ajar on his face and slightly cracked, Mr. 3 stood breathing hard as he raised his arm to signal something. Crocodile scowled before addressing him.

"Mr. 3, you haven't reported for some time now…" he asked indifferently; he knew the artist will be requesting mercy soon.

"B-boss… I must beg of you, give me a chance to defeat the Strawhats one more time! This time I will not fail you!" the wax man panted, his 3 shaped hair had begun to droop, but surprisingly stayed upright.

Crocodile is just about to rebuff that statement, when the enforcer beside him suddenly pounced up to him.

"Ah… Mr. 3! I was looking to _hang_ with you earlier, but you were nowhere to be found, were you perhaps… avoiding me?" Mr. 0.5 hissed.

"O-of course not, sir! I've been planning up just how I will defeat the Strawhats this time, really!" Mr. 3 whimpered.

"Odd… you mentioned another chance to defeat the Strawhats… yet you told me you've already taken care of them when I called you earlier? What is the case here?" Crocodile growled. In reality he already knew that the artist had lied to him back on Little Garden; he wouldn't have sent his enforcer after him after all. Crocodile really did like seeing the look of despair on one's face when he's backed them up into a corner.

"C-call?" Mr. 3 stammered. He never called him! One of the brats must've escaped his sight!

"The Strawhats? You mean those pirates I ran into while on my way back?" Mr. 2 suddenly pointed out, remembering the group of people he met earlier.

"So you've spotted them too, Mr. 2?" Crocodile asked.

"Indeed, I was going to meet Half-chan like you said –Mr. 0.5 glared at the okama for the unwanted nickname yet again- and then I ran into them. Got all their faces too!" Mr. 2 confirmed and shifted through his transformations. Crocodile grew noticeably angrier each time.

"So there you have it, you did not even take down a single one of them… and you especially did not eliminate the princess..." the leader growled, turning back to his cowering subordinate. "You disappoint me, Mr. 3."

"B-boss?"

"You assured me yourself that your superior intellect was more than enough for your mission, yet what became the result? I hope you are aware of the fact that, if not for your cunning, Mr. 4 here would've easily ranked above you, and perhaps even Mr. 5." The rotund man with the bazooka gave a spiteful grunt upon hearing that

"B-boss, please-"

"I suppose there's only one thing to do now!" Mr. 0.5 grinned "It's like the boss is implying, we have no need for those who can't get their act up." His teeth began to lengthen, as Mr. 3 cowered in fear once again, but before he could pounce, Crocodile held his hands up. Hope bloomed within him, only to be quickly dashed when the boss spoke next.

"I will dispose of this liar personally. You should know what happens when people give me false reports. My pets haven't eaten for a long time, after all." Before Mr. 3 could do anything, Crocodile's left hand quickly wrapped around his neck. Mr. 3 barely had a chance to scream as he felt his body shrivel up. With a flick of his arm, Crocodile flung the man over the edge of the meeting place, where a massive yellow-scaled crocodilian with a banana like crest reared out of the water and snapped up the artist, swallowing him in one gulp.

"This goes for the rest of you as well, the mission you are about to partake can only be completed in success. Failure will result in the same fate as those who have failed before. That goes for you as well, Mr. 0.5." the balaclava clad enforcer only grunted upon hearing that.

"Have I ever failed once?"

"Anyway, what are we to do about the Strawhats? They must be in this country by this point!" Mr. 2 asked.

"That will be your job, Miss All-Sunday. Inform the rest of the Billions to fan out across Alabasta. Make sure Nefeltari Vivi does not meet the rebel leader Kohza. As for the rest of you, if you find them, kill them on sight, in addition to your main duties." Crocodile declared.

"Yes Boss!" the agents all coursed.

"Understood." The woman nodded before walking off.

"And what am I to do?" Mr. 0.5 rasped.

Crocodile glanced at him once; the man had already begun to transform. He only needed one thing from the Kaiju-Zoan user.

"Scout the desert. If any of those Strawhats show up, dispose of them." His demand was met by a jarring crack as Mr. 0.5 burrowed himself into the ground.

" **Hehehe… it's time to hunt again!"**

While this was seen, the pair failed to notice Miss All-Sunday glancing back for a brief moment, a small smile graced her lips before she resumed walking.

" _One of the Kaiju have already begun to be drawn to you… I wonder what you will do, Beast Warrior Gian?"_

* * *

 _Meanwhile:_

"We finally made it to Yuba! Just a bit further everyone! Vivi encouraged. Night was about to fall once again, but they finally made it.

"Good, because if Luffy snaps one more time I'm going to snap with him…" Gian groaned back. The daytrip had not been easy, and much of that was due to their captain. They had to deal with many hallucination induced episodes of Luffy unknowingly ingesting a poisonous cactus or him complaining about water. At least now the next town is here, maybe they can relax a bit while Vivi finished up her business. Apparently Yuba is located next to an oasis so it should be good for them.

It was not to be.

"W-what?! What has happened here?!" the princess cried out in horror as she saw what has befallen the town before her.

Yuba was covered in sand; high velocity winds sent clouds of it swirling around the town. Said oasis has long since dried up due to this.

"Vivi-chan, isn't this supposed to be an oasis?" Sanji asked.

"Don't tell me that the drought has affected even here?" Gian looked around.

Shuffling was heard as the group turned their heads to see an old man, hunched over with a shovel in his hands, approaching them. The man was ragged and exhausted, as if he's been doing this for a long time.

"If you're looking for an oasis, I'm afraid you young ones are outta luck. That's been gone for quite some time now. However, we still got some functioning inns around, so feel free to stay the night." The old man stated. The crew were rather tired by this point, and was about to take that suggestion. But Vivi's got some questions first.

"Mister… do you know anything about the Rebel Army? I thought they were based around here..?"

"Those fools? They aren't around anymore… Moved out just a few days ago." The old man replied.

"Then do you know where they have gone?" Vivi questioned urgently. This news was not a good one, who knows how far they could've gotten?

"Last time I remember, they were heading in the direction of Katorea to set up a new base there. Can't exactly blame them; these sandstorms have become more common by the day, they were getting sieged by the sand."

"No… we're too late…" Vivi dropped to her knees upon hearing that.

"Vivi, what's wrong, is Katorea close to here?" Luffy asked.

"Katorea… is another oasis, located back at Nanohana… where we just came from…" Vivi was on the verge of tears.

"You mean we have to go back?!" Usopp yelped.

"We must if we wish to reach them again!" Vivi nodded sadly.

"Vivi… we are going to have to do that tomorrow." Gian pointed out "We are all tired, and it is nighttime which will make travelling difficult."

"…I suppose you're right. Everyone should rest up!" Vivi agreed.

"Hold on for a minute… did you say Vivi?" the old man perked up upon hearing her name "I don't believe it! It really is you! Vivi-chan!"

"Toto-san?" Vivi's eyes widened in realization "It is you! It's been very long!" she cried in happiness.

"Hehe, the years have not been kind on me, but you are growing into a beautiful young lady! It seems like only yesterday that you and my boy Kohza would play together." The old man chuckled "You just stay put tonight, feel free to use as much supplies as you want!"

 _Later in the night:_

"I really ought to find new ways to sleep…" Gian muttered as he got up. Maybe it was the upcoming confrontations, or just the desert climate overall. Regardless, it's as if he can't sleep properly here.

He could hear shuffling outside the inn, and looking out he could see Toto still shovling to try and find water. Currently there wasn't a sandstorm, but if one did come along he'd had to start all over again.

"Do you want a hand?" he asked the old man, who sized him up before snorting and throwing him a shovel.

"Best to put those muscles to use, lad."

After some digging, the two of them sat off to the side and took a small break.

"You should probably go back to sleep, if you want enough energy for tomorrow." Toto broke the silence.

"I would, if I could even get a wink of sleep…" Gian sighed "But that doesn't look like it can happen anytime soon."

"I really should thank you guys for bringing Vivi-chan with you, she must be under a lot of pressure, knowing the words some of them say about her father."

" _Guess the old man doesn't know the plan yet, let's keep it that way."_ Gian thought before nodding "She's strong-willed I'll give you that much."

"Just know that, most of the country still believes in the king! He was always a benevolent ruler, doing something this selfish is not of his character!" Toto exclaimed, before sighing sadly "Too bad some people do not heed those words…"

"You cannot exactly blame them. These are desperate times. When driven to such a point, people are capable of doing things they would once never even dream of. The rebels are just like that, people who have suffered and are disillusioned by what they once believed in." Gian explained "Although to be fair, bringing themselves to do such extreme actions is something that can't be ignored."

"Yes… and they have only gotten stronger… we can't even reason with them anymore!" Toto gave an exasperated sigh "My son is the leader of the rebel group… he was always so hotheaded and it looks like that hasn't changed!"

"What's his relation with Vivi anyway? You spoke earlier as if they are quite close." Gian brought up; at times the princess has spoken rather fondly of the rebel leader as well.

"Vivi-chan and Kohza were close friends when they were children. I wouldn't want to see the two of them on the opposite sides of the battlefield…"

" _An old crush, huh? If we do manage to meet him we have that going for us at least, though will it even end there?"_ Gian thought.

"I know this is perhaps too much to ask, but you have to stop them! If you have to ensure that Vivi-chan meets them then do that!" Toto begged.

"I think that goes without saying, Vivi is very determined in this, and we are in this as well." Gian assured him "Now, I'm rested up. Let's make some more headway into the dirt."

 _The next morning:_

"Toto-san, we are off now!" Vivi bid the old man farewell.

"I regret not being more hospitable during this time."

"It is of no worry. We will stop the civil war."

"I can give you all a gift though. Thanks to this young man's help, I was able to strike water at last! You there, Strawhat! Take this water with you!" Toto gestured to a small barrel of water "I wish I can give you more."

"Wow! This is a great present!" The boy shouted happily "I'll make sure to use it carefully!"

"You better, it wasn't exactly easy to find it…" Gian rubbed his back gingerly. Perhaps the offer to help was a mistake, he was sore all over now.

"As for you Gian-kun, I will give you a heads up." Toto stated "Be extra careful when traversing the desert, lest you wish to lose your lives. This is particularly important now that Vivi-chan is talking to you."

"What's so bad about it now? We came here rather smoothly, the only problems we ran into was Luffy eating things he shouldn't have and some of the local wildlife."

"Ah, those are the dangers of the desert, but all cannot compared to the Red Beast."

* * *

"Red Beast?"

"Sightings of it only appeared roughly 6 months ago, and even then they were rare in numbers. Some people think it's merely a rumor. But ever since it's appearance, traversing the desert has been extra dangerous."

"…Vivi, why were we not aware of this before?"

"Even I have no idea of this, when has such a creature appeared in the desert?" Vivi questioned, concern in her voice.

"Word out there, is that entire troops of caravans have disappeared without a trace out in the rolling sands. Entire expeditions have gone out only to never return. That is, until one survivor, bloody and weakened, managed to escape to Nanohana; in his dying breath he gave a vague description of his attacker: a massive red beast with a single horn on its head and teeth the size of scimitars. It was the only look he got, for according to him, half of the creature's body was submerged under the sand." Toto exclaimed, and silence dawned over the group.

"So please, make sure you're constantly on the lookout for it. The attacks happen so irregularly, no one knows when it will strike…" Toto warned one last time.

"…I understand now, then we will take extra measures in making sure that Vivi is safe." Gian promised. It was as they feared: Mr. 0.5 is active and hunting within the desert…

 _Later:_

"No signs of any movement in the sands… what about you Chopper?" Usopp stammered as he looked around frantically. They've begun their trek back to the coast, as if it weren't hard enough before, they now had to worry about a subterranean monster stalking them from below the earth.

"So far nothing…" the little reindeer is slightly terrified as well.

"What if it does attack?! Gian you will save us right?!" Usopp wept.

"Get a hold of yourselves! He might not even not even know we're here yet." Gian hoped "And knowing practically nothing about him so far will make it difficult."

"Maybe it isn't Mr. 0.5? It could just be a hungry desert animal the country has a problem with?" Sanji said hopefully.

"You remember Vivi's story don't you? The description was pretty much matching. If he really is out there then we are completely exposed out on the desert sand, so we have to move quickly." Gian asserted.

"Please… let's just go… I don't want to think about it…" Vivi trembled.

"I'm so sorry Vivi-chwan!" Sanji apologized.

However, going anywhere would have to wait. Luffy had been unnaturally quiet on the journey back, and as they were walking, he suddenly stopped. Then to everybody's surprise he sat down and spoke something no one expected him to.

"I quit."

"Luffy-san?" Vivi croaked "What are you talking about?!"

"I don't want to do this anymore."

"Stop messing around Luffy!" Sanji snapped "We're about to be caught in the middle of a crisis that will end in civil war if we don't do something about this! This is for Vivi-chan!"

"Not interested." The boy shrugged.

"Luffy, have you forgotten we are in enemy territory right now?" Gian addressed him sharply "Even as we speak, Crocodile has agents across the country looking for us. Not to mention his enforcer is currently lurking in the sands somewhere in this very desert. The more time we waste the more vulnerable we become!"

"Then let them come, we have to face them eventually anyway right?" Luffy snorted "I want to beat the crap out of Crocodile, how will us stopping the rebels help with that?" When Vivi couldn't come up with an answer to that, he continued "You want to stop Crocodile, but you also don't want anyone to die?"

Slowly the crew then began to understand his reasoning, and it was right. Even if they managed to stop the rebels here, Crocodile wouldn't just disappear like that.

"Do you not see how naïve your idea is?"

"And why is that?! Just because I don't want anyone to die?!" Vivi shouted, all the pressure finally getting to her. Too many things are going wrong right now.

"People die Vivi!" Luffy shot back "You're going up against a warlord and you expect everyone to be fine?"

"Stop talking like that!" Vivi cried before throwing a punch at the boy, knocking him down as tears began streaming down her face "You can't blame the rebel army for this! They shouldn't be killed over something Crocodile started!"

"If that's the case, then why are you risking your life?!" Luffy shouted again "This country is in need of help, so why is sacrificing only one life necessary?!"

"Then what do you want me to do?! I can't risk anyone else's life! I don't have anything else to-"

"HOW ABOUT RISKING OUR LIVES THEN?! ARE WE NOT NAKAMA?!" Luffy yelled and it was this that finally made Vivi pause, overcome with emotion.

"That idiot… does he have to be so blunt about it?" Sanji shook his head.

"He figured it out, that's what's important." Zoro nodded.

"He didn't have to be so harsh…" Nami mumbled.

"We can't exactly mince words in this situation." Gian reminded her before turning to the princess "At first I thought he was crazy as well, but it turns out he knows more than any of us. Luffy's right, Crocodile won't be stopped until we take the fight to him. Even if you managed to convince the rebels, it still isn't going to hinder his plans. I hope you realize that the minute he set foot into this country, people have already begun to die, those he's killed, those his subordinates have killed, and now that we're in his sights us eventually as well. Him, and the rest of his agents have no regard for what's about to happen as long as they achieve their end goal. Are you just going to accept that?"

Vivi wiped some tears away before her gaze hardened "No… I won't accept that… I can't accept that!"

"Then lead us to him, tell us where Crocodile is!" Luffy declared. This wasn't just a simple escort mission anymore, it was up to them to stop Crocodile before all of Alabasta falls.

 **A/N: Alright, another chapter down! This marks the third chapter of the arc. Looking at it right now it might even go above 6 chapters before the arc is finished. Not really much happened in this and it's a bit short, as most of it will take place following this chapter. But, I can assure you, the rest of the action will begin right away after this! This month has just been really hectic as there was a major school event that I partook in. It was all forms of fun but it left me with little time to actually sit down and write. Well, hopefully I get more time before midterms kick in! I'll get the next chapter up as soon as possible!**

 **Now time to respond to reviews!**

 **To JayH120:**

 **Alas, poor Ace. I knew him well. It really makes it harder when you know what happens later.**

 **G: Oh where to begin? For starters I think the cutest one of them is *gets knocked down by a sledgehammer.**

 **Yeah… he'll drone on for hours if I let him talk. This is for the greater good.**

 **To Chance Green G King:**

 **I can tell you this much, the Kaiju-Zoan user on Whitebeard's crew is not Spacegodzilla. Spacegodzilla will eventually have a completely different storyline that will crossover with the plot, and Gian will be directly affected by this.**

 **I don't think I have… I might have to check it out soon.**

 **To Vergil Leonidas:**

 **Vercelli's relationship with Ace will be shared once we get there; he will actually have something to do with a character we've already seen.**

 **And while I think Ace possibly could have Observation Haki, he wasn't using it here. Aura does not require haki to detect; it is something completely different and is unique to Kaiju-Zoans. I don't have the full details fleshed out yet but there will be an explanation on how it works, and variations on how it works.**

 **G: Oh hey, what did I miss? Vergil and I were having a deep discussion on the meaning of life before I remembered that I'm needed here, so what was the question?**

 **Yeah… you keep thinking that…**

 **To tamagat:**

 **G: Now how would that work?**

 **I guess when Franky joins the crew we can probably work on something like that? But I don't know.**

 **G: Who's Franky?**

 **A really SUPER guy.**

 **G: …Any reason for the pose?**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **It's a more obscure monster, but kaiju fans would recognize him when we get there.**

 **To General Zod:**

 **I had originally thought about doing that, having this story start somewhere around Whiskey Peak, but after seeing my rough draft of the entire story I realized that wasn't going to work. Although Kaiju-Zoans are powerful, it isn't something just anyone can use, as you will see eventually. Some could consider it to be watered down but I see Gian's powers akin to a child that needs to be nurtured; simply transforming is only scratching the surface of what Kaiju-Zoans can do. As we get further into the story, it's going to be more centered around the Kaiju themselves.**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **G: I wonder what Robin would look like in swimwear…**

 **It is something us men have always thought about, but something that we can never reach…**

 **G: Well sucks to be you then! This is the perks of us fictional characters is that we can-**

 **I really regret making you be able to break the fourth wall…**

 **And that's it! We'll see you next time!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will do Improv!**

 **G: Aren't you the one that does that?**


	38. Outclassed

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Alabasta Arc opening: Know Know Know by Does (Gintama Op. 15)**

"Wow… Rainbase is quite the city of glamour!" Gian whistled as they entered the oasis of Alabasta. It was a sentiment everybody shared; even though they knew the reason behind it.

"Yes… Rainbase was unaffected by the drought as it had other sources of income, hence you can see the numerous gambling houses located here." Vivi pointed out anxiously "This has allowed it to separate itself from all the hardships faced by this country."

"Gambling huh? Then there's a chance we can rake it in big here!" Nami's eyes glittered.

"We have an important mission, greedy witch!" Zoro snapped, already sensing where her thoughts were.

"It was just a thought…"

"Well, now that we're here we really need a plan of action." Gian stated "It's safe to say that Crocodile already knows that we are here, and has his subordinates looking for us. However, there's a big chance that he doesn't expect us to get to his home base this quickly, so finding him is still doable."

"Now, if I were the leader of a criminal organization where would I put my HQ?" he looked around, before spotting the large pyramid shaped building with a golden Bananawani atop it.

"I'm like 90% certain that's the place, how much do you want to bet?"

"That's the Rain Dinners Casino, it's the largest within the city. I think Gian-san is correct there" Vivi spoke up.

"Well that settles it. Now we just need a way in. it's best if we don't attract too much attention so we should-"

"CROCODILEEEEEE! I'M COMING TO KICK YOUR ASS!" and the entire group was drowned in a cloud of dust as their captain dashed towards the casino. He was immediately followed by Usopp and Chopper, both frothing at the mouth due to dehydration.

* * *

"…Or we can do that…" Gian seethed "Somebody go and get those 3 idiot before we're all caught red handed"

"We might as well go now…" Vivi smiled apologetically "Besides, the sooner we act the sooner we can finish this!"

"I really don't know why I come up with these suggestions…

* * *

Fortunately the 3 were more interested in quenching their thirst than making a commotion, Gian soon found them by a bar close to the casino, demanding liquid substance.

"Is it too much to ask you guys to slow down for just a second? The rest of us are- What are you 3 looking at?" Gian chided before noticing their wide stares to their right. His gaze look up, and what he saw made him internally scream.

" _Oh, come ON!"_

"Strawhat…" none other than Captain Smoker and Master Chief Petty Officer Tashigi were sitting just mere feet away from them.

"AHHH IT'S SMOKEY!" Luffy screamed before dashing off with Usopp and Chopper close behind him.

"Smokey huh… That's even better than Chaser!" Gian had to stifle a chortle "I'm totally going to start calling you that from now on-Ok I'm leaving too!" then sprinted after them when Smoker let out a low growl.

The resulting chase ended up with yet another entire squadron of Marines hot on their tails.

"FOR CRYING OUT LOUD DO YOU EVER REST?!" Gian shouted back at the pursing captain.

"HOW DOES HE KEEP FINDING US?!" Usopp cried.

"HELL IF I KNOW! IT'S LIKE BACK WHEN HE SAW LUFFY IN LOGUETOWN HE JUST GOT A BUILT IN TRACKING DEVICE SOLEY FOR HIM!"

The remaining crew members, who were trailing behind a bit, looked in dismay as the quartet brought their pursuers right to them.

"Why did you bring them toward us?!" Zoro snapped.

"DO YOU SEE A BETTER PLACE TO RUN TO?!" Gian shot back.

"You four are ridiculous… we need to split up now!" Nami chided.

"Vivi, which way to Crocodile?" Luffy reminded, to which the princess once again pointed to the large pyramid shaped casino. Luffy nodded gratefully as he raced towards the building, with Gian, Nami, Zoro and Usopp going after him. Chopper and Sanji went and escorted Vivi to safety themselves.

"None of you will escape!" Smoker shouted from behind them. " **White Blow!"** The cloud of smoke soared towards the group, intent on cutting them off. Fortunately Gian managed to dice it to pieces by spinning Atom Splitter around. The action cost him some time however, as he was forced to block an incoming strike from the marine captain's jitte.

Dislodging the man, they managed to enter the casino with Smoker still after them. Soon however, they spotted something else.

"Yo, what does that sign say?" Luffy pointed.

"VIP… it pretty much means very important person. That could refer to anybody." Gian answered.

"There seems to be an opening there! We can try to go through that way!" Zoro suggested.

"There's even a group of people beckoning at us!" Nami pointed out.

"I don't know... wait, how did they know we are coming?" Gian suddenly realized, but before he could get a warning out:

"We should go there! They're welcoming us!" Luffy pointed before indeed going off in the direction, all the while screaming blue murder about the head of Baroque Works.

"Luffy, wait! That's too-" Zoro started, but he didn't listen.

And that's how the group ended up in the worst situation they could be since they came to the country. The minute they made the turn, the ground beneath them disappeared and they all went tumbling down. Down, until they hit the bottom roughly. When they opened their eyes, they realized they were held captive in what appears to be a holding cell.

* * *

"I told you to wait! Now look, we fell for their trap!" Zoro scowled.

"That was way too obvious… why do I get the feeling this was made solely for our dim-witted captain?" Gian sighed, before glaring at Smoker, who in his haste was also trapped alongside them "This is all your fault! If you weren't so gung ho about your duty we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Have you noticed the cage we're held in?" the captain growled, ignoring that little outburst. And only then did Gian realized that the air around them was surprising heavy. As he focused on the bars of the jail, a wave of nausea washed over him. There was only one thing that had this effect.

"Kairoseki… this cage is made out of Kairoseki…" the same substance embedded in both their weapons were also present in these bars. As long as they are within, neither of them can use their powers.

"Glad to see you still know what it is. This cage is specifically made to capture those with Devil Fruits."

"Wah?! Smokey is here with us?!" Luffy deadpanned, just noticing the marine captain and earning him a scowl.

"Luffy… don't touch the bars." Gian sighed.

"What? Why?" Luffy tipped his head and did exactly that, which resulted him drooping to the floor exhausted.

"WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!"

"My, My… you lot certainly are loud… I didn't expect my guests to have this much energy…" a deep voice jolted them from the action. Rage overcame their features as they realized who set the trap; even though they have never met, they could easily deduce this newcomer's identity, considering they've heard so much about him already.

"CROCODILE! LET ME OUT OF HERE SO I CAN KICK YOUR ASS!" Luffy shouted, grabbing the bars of the cell only to fall to the ground again.

"Kuhahahahaha… how pitiful… stuck in a cage, absolutely helpless. I will admit the bunch of you surprised me with your tenacity, but in the end you still end up in such a predicament. I would've never expected the infamous 'Strawhat' Monkey D. Luffy and his crew to be this gullible." The shichibukai chuckled sadistically.

"Crocodile! What are you planning?!" Smoker demanded from the cage.

"And how can I forget about such a valued guess like yourself, Captain Smoker! I suppose this is what happens when you stick your nose too deep into the business of other people. I expected you to be a wild card; you never did exactly comply with what the World Government wanted after all! They wouldn't normally send marines here to investigate."

"What you're doing here will get you Shichibukai status revoked!" Smoker snarled at the pirate, who only laughed in response.

"Well, that's why the only one that knows will die along with the Strawhats then! I'd much rather the World Government not be concerned with what I'm doing." Crocodile sneered "I will ask that you be a bit patient right now, there's still one more valued guest that needs to be brought here, and my partner just informed me that she just arrived!"

"LET VIVI GO!" Luffy shouted when he realized the implication. But Crocodile only cackled as he exited the room to fetch the captured princess.

"Well shit… Never expected it to happen like this…" Gian sighed before sitting down. Vaguely aware that Luffy and Usopp were taking this time to do impressions of members of the crew, he watched them for a while before realizing the impression of himself was completely off.

"You two missed the mark completely with that one!" he groaned, while the two only stuck their tongue out at them.

"Hmph, at a time like this you're more concerned with trivial matters such as this." Smoker grunted from behind him.

"You're one to talk, couldn't you at least call Tashigi and tell her where you are?"

"The room is jamming the signals of my Den Den Mushi, I can't get anything out." Was the captain's reply.

"What were you doing here anyway?" Gian inquired "And don't give me that jazz about how you predicted us to turn up here, because the last time I checked none of us told you where we were going."

Smoker glared at him for a bit, before letting out a sigh "There has been many things recently that have aroused my suspicions about Alabasta in the recent years. It was a country that was previously peaceful, nothing out of the ordinary, yet somehow there is a civil war brewing within." He growled upon hearing this "Unfortunately, Crocodile being a Shichibukai means that the World Government usually tends to look the other way unless there's absolute proof he's had a hand in the matter. So I took it upon myself to see to this personally. That part was due to a lower member of the organization we apprehended a few days prior. We also managed to intercept a call that had key elements of Princess Nefeltari Vivi's absence from the city, as well as Crocodile being aware of the Strawhat Pirates, though that was all we got from it. Everything else was mere assumptions, but that's all become clear now."

"And being the ever vigilant captain that you are, you decided to take matters into your own hands and do a little private investigation and maybe capture us on the side, am I correct?" Gian theorized.

"Precisely, though it seems like Crocodile was aware of my intentions as well." Smoker huffed "It's like they always say: once a pirate, always a pirate."

"He is right about one thing: you always did like to poke your head into things that don't concern you." Gian sighed "It's like that one time when Kenichi and I pulled that milk prank on Tashigi's 18th birthday, we even covered our tracks well and you still found out about it."

"No, you only thought you covered your tracks, but any seasoned tracker can find you out easily, and that's exactly what I did." Smoker rebutted.

"Hey, cut me some slack! I didn't have the street knowledge I have now I thought we did a pretty good job!"

"You really are taking this whole pirate thing really well aren't you, you punk…"

"Well, that's all subjective but none of it matters now…" he lean backed and began humming lightly "What can I say… except… we'll die soon…"

A moment later is when a triumphant Crocodile returned to the holding area, followed by his partner. The princess was led right behind her, and her eyes widened in helplessness when she saw who were all captured. Miss All-Sunday's gaze was unreadable as always, though when she passed by the cell, she made brief eye contact with the Kaiju-Zoan user, seemingly hinting at something.

"Well, we're all here Nefeltari Vivi! Or should I say, Miss Wednsday!" Crocodile chuckled again "You certainly made it quite hard for my assassins to find you, seems like the time you spent with us weren't all a waste."

"Crocodile…" Vivi growled in rage "I would run through a thousand knives just to see you die!"

"Funny, given the situation it appears you and your friends are the ones that are about to die. But none of that matters now, Project Utopia is about to come to fruitation. And, the one that ultimately falls, will be this country itself!"

Vivi could contain herself no longer as she threw out a **Peacock Slasher** , the spinning blade whirled towards the man's head. Crocodile made no effort to dodge, and just as the blade connected, his head exploded into a cloud of sand.

"Kuhahahaha…" the Shichibukai's dark laughter sounded as sand drifted across where his head used to be, as everyone in the room watched wide-eyed (save for Smoker and Miss All-Sunday) as the sand gradually settled until Crocodile's head emerged again "Did you like that performance? You may have found out about my identity, but it seems you haven't found out everything about me. Everyone in this country knows the power of my **Suna Suna no mi** ; you can even see it in your surroundings! The fruit has granted me other powers too, shall I demonstrate them on you?" the shichibukai reached out his right hand.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER, CROCODILE!" Luffy roared from the cage.

"Logia… of course he has a logia…" Gian gritted, gripping the staff on Atom Splitter even tighter.

"It is past 7 now, Mr. 0" Miss All-Sunday announced from the side.

"Has it been that soon? Then I supposed we shall begin the final steps of Project Utopia!" Crocodile heeded triumphantly "Nelfeltari Vivi, I must congratulate you, you have the first seat in viewing your country's destruction! But then you've seen it already have you? That pitiful oasis? It's hilarious really, how that old fool keeps trying to dig away his problems." He grinned maliciously when he saw Vivi's eyes widen in horror "That's right, I was the one that constantly bombarded Yuba with Sandstorms! I'm surprised they haven't all shriveled up and died yet."

"How can you do this?! How can you be so cruel?!" Vivi cried.

"My goals are far beyond what you can comprehend. All the trouble I went through to acquire the necessary amount of Dance Powder, all the work I did to sow the seeds of mistrust, it will all lead to this! Now, there is only one last thing to do. And you, my princess, will be our special guest in our little conversation with your dear father!" Crocodile cackled "That's right! We are headed to Alubarna this instant!"

"W-what are you planning to do with father?!"

"It's a simple question really: Does he value the people of the country over his precious daughter, or the other way around! Kuhahaha!"

"CROCODILE! I SWEAR IF THIS CAGE WASN'T AROUND ME-" Luffy was really mad now, and the rest of the crew were close by with him.

"…Hmm? Ah, I forgot about you lot. Well I suppose I shall dispose of you soon as well." a hatch to the right of the room suddenly shifted open, and the people can hear growling coming from it.

"That's… never a good sign…" Gian mumbled. And he would be right, 4 pairs of crimson eyes glowed out of the darkness, followed by the scaled bodies of multiple Bananawani, all of them snapping their jaws in delight of their potential meal. Crocodile simply smirked before revealing a key in his coat; the key to the cage. With a simple flick he tossed the material to a nearby Bananawani, who promptly snapped it up.

"I should also warn you guys that this base is located atop of a lake." Crocodile nonchalantly mentioned "Even as we speak, water is flowing in from the sides and the whole room will disappear in less than an hour. It really is a refreshing sight to see you all so pitiful."

"Vivi! Let us out of here, we'll beat him up right now!" Luffy shouted, but the princess could only look on helplessly as the massive crocodilians circled the cage.

"Even now you're still so hardheaded… it would be inspiring to see if it wasn't so pathetic." Crocodile scoffed "I supposed I should leave and-"

* **purupurupurupurupurupuru!**

"…who could it possibly be this time?" Crocodile growled with irritation. He told all of his subordinates that they were not to contact him; even his enforcer prowling the desert knows this.

 ***Katcha!**

And out came a voice that the entire crew recognized.

" _ **Hello, is this the shit restaurant?"**_

"Wait a minute… YOU! You were that voice back on-" Realization dawned on Crocodile.

" _ **Glad you recognized me there, sir! I'd thought you forgot about me!"**_

"Who the hell are you?!"

" _ **Me? I go by many titles. You however, can address me as: Mr. Prince!"**_

"SAVE US, MR. PRINCE!" Luffy Usopp and Nami called out.

This 'Mr. Prince' was seriously getting onto Crocodile's nerves, he quickly exited the room, intent on punishing this daring individual, but not before blocking one last escape attempt from Vivi, making the crew cry out with concern. Miss All-Sunday soon wordless followed, though not before giving Gian one last passing glance.

"Wow… he actually went after him…" Gian shrugged.

"Forget that! How are we supposed to get out of here?!" Usopp yelped. The water was flowing in at a larger volume now. It may not even need an hour to completely fill the room. All the while the remaining Bananawani's are still circling the cage.

"I can… still get help…" Vivi got up from the floor, slightly dazed but just as determined. "Just wait everyone! I'll come back with help!" dodging the large reptiles as best as she could, she managed to scurry from the room. Promising to return soon.

"Meanwhile, maybe we can get one of these crocs to break the cage!" Nami suggested. She tried her best to act as bait, and a few of them actually took it. Unfortunately, even their strength was unable to even make a dent in the Seastone.

"Goddammit… if only the cage wasn't made out of Kairoseki… I would transform and fully burst out of the cage, along with the whole building with it!" Gian cursed.

"Did you forget about the fact that this building is built within a lake? If you want your friends to drown then that's your problem." Smoker grunted at that remark.

"Oh… right…"

"How much do you lot know about this plan of theirs?" the captain asked again.

"We know enough, and the rest we could probably figure out on our own." Gian replied.

"You are hopeless. I hope you know just who you're dealing with here. The woman earlier beside Crocodile, she's a dangerous element as well. She's wanted by the World Government with a bounty of 79 million."

"That's almost as high as Crocodile's before it was frozen!" Gian exclaimed "What kind of people does he have on his side?!"

"Hell if I know, but if those two wish to, they can easily turn the world on its head, especially considering what she can do." Smoker didn't get any more specific with that, which made Gian once again wonder just what kind of person Miss All-Sunday is.

"Why are you two talking about that when we should be worrying how to escape?!" Usopp cried.

Before the Bananawanis can attack once again, the ceiling of the room suddenly cracked open. One of the crocs was directly underneath the falling debris, and was instantly flattened when a black leg slammed itself onto its head.

"Hope you all didn't wait too long!" Sanji grinned as he dusted himself off and every one (save for Smoker), before turning lovestuck at the sight of Nami "I'm sorry I'm so late Nami-swan!"

"Hurry up and get us out of here, Ero-cook!" Zoro snapped.

"Will you be patient?!" the cook shot back.

"Alright Sanji, one of the giant crocs you see circling us ate the key to the cage" Gian informed him "I don't know which one it is so you might have to-"

"It's the 3rd one." Smoker motioned flatly.

"-wait, really? How could you tell?"

"Unlike the rest of you I was actually paying attention to it; it was the third one that entered the room and it was the one that swallowed the key."

"Well let's give it a shot! **Anti-Matter Kick Course!"** Sanji threw his leg directly under the croc, denting its torso and sending it flying towards the roof once again. The force was so much that the reptile blacked out, but not before spitting out a white ball.

"That's not a key…" Luffy whined.

The ball spun around for a bit, before cracking open to reveal a dried up man. He soon became rehydrated however, as a few drops of water landed on him, restoring his vitality. Mr. 3 groggily looked up before he recognized the group within the cage and let out a scream.

"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE?!"

"Hey… I just remembered… he can produce wax!" Gian perked up "We can get him to make us one!"

"Don't be ridiculous! Why would I help you?" Mr. 3 scoffed, before Sanji's shadow fell over him.

"OK… Here you are…" A beaten up Mr. 3 muffled out. Sanji was really convincing when he had to be.

The remaining crocs all snarled now that their prey was in the open, but soon found out that, once free, they could fight back, soon they lay unconscious on the floor, though it did not end there. Another crack sounded, this time not bringing luck, but trouble as liters of water flowed into the room, flooding it completely. The 3 devil fruit users were instantly drained of their strength, and had to be carried out by those who were unaffected.

"I… really hate water…" Gian panted as he regained consciousness. Looking to the side, Luffy was waking up too. It seems like everybody was fine, until Gian was forced to block another strike from Smoker's Jitte as he aimed for the captain.

"Enough, don't you have to take care of things around here?" Gian stated, Smoker only glared at him.

"I didn't ask for your help! Why did you save me?"

"I was out of it too. You'd have to thank one of our swimmers for that." Gian pointed.

"I was just following orders, besides Luffy would not approve of us leaving you down there." Zoro shrugged.

"If I were able to swim, I would've saved you regardless. Even if we are on opposite sides now, you are still the one that watched over me back in Loguetown. For looking out for Kenichi, Goro, Hiroshi, and Rokuro, and the rest. It isn't right for you to perish here." Gian stated firmly.

"…Very well." Smoker let out a resigned sigh "You should probably leave."

"Just letting us go like that?" Sanji asked.

"You've helped me here, I will not go after you today. Besides, if you think you are all crazy enough to go after Crocodile, then that's an area I cannot touch. Only you guys can help the people here." Smoker began walking off, before turning back and glaring at them once more "But be warned. This is the only time I'm letting you off the hook. The next time I encounter you again, I will capture you!"

"I believe it." Gian smiled softly "Never change, Captain Smoker."

"Yeah, you're a pretty good guy, Smokey!" Luffy grinned, earning him another scowl.

* * *

Rumbles were heard in the distance, and the group spotted a massive crab crawling towards them. Before they can brace themselves, the crab stopped in front of them. Out from its back waved the familiar face of Tony Tony Chopper, along with a relieved Vivi.

"Oh thank goodness, you are all safe!" Vivi cried out.

"Guys, this is Eyelashes' friend! He'll carry us to Alubarna!" Chopper called out. The camel standing beside the crab grinned.

"Alright! Let's make it there before Crocodile!" Luffy announced.

"I hope the distraction gives us enough time." Sanji looked back worriedly as the large crustacean began scrambling towards the capital city.

Soon, however, it became apparent that the distraction wasn't enough, as Luffy let out a warning cry as a golden hook flew towards them, a trail of sand following it aiming straight at Vivi. However, Luffy jumped in front of the hook at the last minute, the weapon grasping him instead.

"Luffy-san!" Vivi cried out.

"Don't worry about me! Just keep going! I will handle this!" the boy cried as he is dragged off.

"But-"

"Trust him! He will handle this!" Sanji assured her "We have to get you there as soon as possible!"

"Hold on… do you guys feel that?!" Gian suddenly became alerted.

"Feel what? There's nothing around here!" Zoro answered.

"No, there's definitely something here!" Gian looked around. It wasn't something he could describe, but just a few moments earlier, he could've sworn he felt a presence, a presence that was coming in their direction… a presence that felt… _dark…_ as if it was… _directly_ **UNDER** them-

"EVERYBODY DOWN!" Gian let out a roar as he ripped Atom Splitter off his back in a defensive pose, and just then the ground beside the crab burst open, and a leather clad man burst out of the ground, twirling twin axes as his salivating jaws opened. Gian quickly stepped in front of Vivi, protecting her from impact but that resulted him being knocked off their mount.

"Oh no! Gian-san in trouble!" Vivi called out from atop the crab, as she realized, with a chill in her heart, who exactly attacked them.

"What was that? It happened so fast I couldn't see!" Chopper whimpered.

"That… was Mr. 0.5…" Vivi let out a hoarse whisper.

"THAT WAS HIM?!" Nami yelped.

"Everybody!" They heard Gian call out at them as the ground around him rippled "Keep going! Don't look back! Luffy and I will take care of this and reunite with you all soon!" the crew had no choice but to keep going.

* * *

Once sure that there were far enough, Gian braced himself for further combat, as a chilling growl sounded from around him.

" **Kihehehe… such a brave little rat… throwing his life away to save his friends…"**

"How about you come up here? And I'll show you how brave I can be?" Gian challenged. His heart however, was pounding hard. The evil presence around him only got stronger; it felt almost sickening.

" **I must say… I didn't except you to be able to sense Aura this quickly… if left to develop you can actually have some skill… too bad you will never reach that point again!"**

"Aura… wait, don't tell me that you're-"

The ground behind him ripped open as the man jumped out again, swinging and ax down hard in a blow that Gian was barely able to block. He landed in a flip, before leering back with a savage grin.

"Kihehehe… it's so good to finally meet you, 'Beast Warrior' Gian! I've been dying to bite into your flesh ever since I've heard of your arrival!"

"Mr. 0.5…" Gian gritted as he braced himself.

"Gian!" he was suddenly alerted by Luffy landing beside him "How did you get here? I thought I said to go with Vivi!" when Gian pointed at the balaclava clad man, Luffy tipped his head "Who's the ninja?"

"Luffy that's not a-"

"You missed your target, Mr. 0.5…" Crocodile grunted with annoyance as he appeared over the ridge, sand wisps floating around him.

"I had a little roadblock… but I'll have fun with him!" the killer growled savagely.

"I suppose it's unavoidable… yet perhaps it could be destiny. To have both 'Strawhat' Luffy and 'Beast Warrior' Gian here in our way."

"Wha? That's Mr. 0.5?" Luffy gaped.

"Not the time…" Gian panted.

"It does not matter, we will eliminate you here right now. I already told Strawhat that it will only take me 3 minutes to end his life. I will add you to that as well." Crocodile scoffed.

"You might wanna retire then Boss, because I will feast on their corpse in **half that time**!" And Mr. 0.5 burrowed underground once again, dashing towards the two pirates. Erupting directly under them, he swung his ax up, forcing the two to roll to the side.

" **Gomu Gomu no… Pistol!"** Luffy lashed his fist towards the Shichibukai, who didn't even attempt to dodge, the fist smashed right through his chest, leaving behind a gaping hole that sand quickly covered.

"What the hell? It was like that earlier! All he did was turn to sand and I couldn't hit him!" Luffy yelped.

"That's because Crocodile has a Logia fruit! He can't be hit by physical attacks." Gian swung Atom Splitter in wide arc before leaping at the veteran pirate "Except for this one!"

The blade impacted against Crocodile's golden hook with a loud **CLANG** , the two locked gazes for a moment, before Crocodile swung his hood upwards, sending Gian flipping back "Such arrogance… thinking you can beat me with just a Seastone weapon… I'll show you the errors of your mistake! **Desert Spada!"**

Crocodile's hand sank into the ground, before a massive blade of sand ripped towards the two, forcing them to side step as the blade cut a wide crevasse into the desert.

"OH MY GOD, THE DESERT GOT CUT IN HALF!" Luffy yelped.

"Just how powerful is he?" Gian whispered.

"This is simply the power of mastering your devil fruit, I've had plenty of time to hone my skills, and now you will bear witness! **Desert Girasole!"**

This time, the moment the sandman slammed his hand into the ground, the ground around Gian and Luffy instantly formed into a massive sand pit, constantly draining downwards. The two were quickly caught in the sinkhole and began to feel the pull, running only made it worse.

"The Sand! It's sucking us down!" Luffy yelped as he struggled.

"Yes, The Suna Suna no mi allows me to detect underground rivers, which I can then use to create quicksand! The two of you are now nothing more than another casualty within the sand!"

"If I can't reach you, then I'll shoot you down! **Atom Ray!"** Gian fired, before Luffy finally freed himself and pulled his hands back " **Gomu Gomu no… Bazooka!"** But Crocodile simply jumped over the attacks, before leaping at Luffy with his hand outstretched, grabbing one of the boy's arms before he can retract them.

"AHHH! MY ARM IS SHRINKING!" he yelped as he stared at the shriveled up appendage. Fortunately, he remembered the barrel of water Toto gave him, and took a sip, restoring it back to normal "Phew, that was close!"

"He not only can create sand, but he also drains the moisture from people?! This is bad!" Gian yelped as he fired another Atom Ray, but this time, it never reached its target:

" **Lava Pulse!"** an orange beam of heat burst from underneath the ground, and collided with the **Atom Ray**. Gian had to block another of Mr. 0.5's ravaging assaults from down below in a follow up attack.

" _He can go underground… he's like a fish in water there! I'm unable to see him, or hit him…_ " Gian thought desperately " _I'll have to transform if I even want the slightest chance!"_

But he never finished gathering energy as Mr. 0.5 burst from the ground again, this time successfully pinning him down; Gian watched in horror as the enforcer was already Partially Transformed, and grinning savagely into his face.

" **Trying to transform? How predictable; you're completely helpless without it."** The assassin growled " **It's sad really, how a powerful Kaiju-Zoan fruit ended up under someone like you. In theory, the difference in strength between the Goji Goji no Mi and my Ragon Ragon no Mi should be quite apparent. However, you are untrained, your control is weak, almost null! And of course, when I'm using the environment around me, I am every bit your superior!"**

"It really is a shame, a valued Kaiju-Zoan could be a good asset… Crocodile sneered from above him, throwing Luffy to the ground. "How about I offer you a place within the organization? You can hone your skills under Mr. 0.5, and your power will aide me in any further endeavor. You really should be under someone stronger than this brat you call a captain."

"Oh, I was just thinking of the same thing! Ok! I accept, as long as you give me 99.9% of all your money, give me control of the entire organization, and let me be leader! I think that's a good deal!" Gian drawled.

"Insolent punk…" Crocodile seethed "If you're so keen on biting the hand that feeds you, then you can both die with Yuba!" Gian's eyes widened as a small gust formed within Crocodile's hand.

" **Sables!"**

A howling gale quickly formed, the tornado of sand once again blowing towards the desert town. Gian and Luffy were both caught in the sandstorm and were completely blinded. It was then that the chilling voice of Mr. 0.5 sounded once more.

" **And this, is the true degree of being one with your environment! Desert Shred Assault!"**

And just like that, Luffy and Gian were bombarded by Strikes from the Kaiju-Zoan user. They can feel their skin rip open, lacerations everywhere, as Mr. 0.5 leapt to and fro from underground, cackling manically all the while. And there was nothing they can do; they could hardly see! When the sandstorm finally subsided, both were bloody rags, panting but still refusing to fall.

"This persistence is really irritating now, for two amateur pirates that know nothing of how the world works, you're in over your heads!" Crocodile hissed.

"That sandstorm… you sent it towards Yuba… don't you think you've gone too far?!" Luffy shouted and mustered the last of his strength and leapt at Crocodile, but it was futile, and with a single swing of his hook, Luffy found himself dangling, a good 2 inches of the hook impaled through his back.

"LUFFY!" Gian screamed.

" **Kihehehe… that boy is sure feisty! I think I will eat him too!"** Mr. 0.5 cackled before diving into the sand, swimming right towards the injured boy.

" **LEAVE HIM ALONE!"** finally mustering the strength to Partially Transform, Gian leapt towards to save him. Crocodile glanced briefly at him, before swinging out his right hand.

" **Barjan!"**

A trail of sand following the swing of the arm in the form of a sickle. It quickly sliced through Gian's torso, but instead of cutting, everything below him dried up like a flower in the sun. Instantly Gian was snapped out of his Partial Tranformation as he let out a choke cry, and that wasn't the end of it. As he fell to his knees, Mr. 0.5 erupted from the ground, jaws open wide and crunching down on his right arm, eliciting a cry of absolute pain.

" **Forget what I said earlier, that display was truly the pinnacle of pathetic. You let go of every instinct just to save boy who's already close to dead! You didn't even stop to think I'd perhaps led you into that!"** The enforcer sneered.

"This is what happens to all that stands in my way. Today, this country dies, and you two die with it." Crocodile shrugged dismissively. He was just about to leave when a powerful grip latched onto his arm. Luffy refused to die, and after the water pouch he received from Toto was punctured, he realized that Crocodile was tangible if he was wet.

"I'm not… dying here… I'm going to… become the Pirate King!"

Veins popped up on Crocodile's forehead; just why isn't this cockroach dying?! "Pirate King? As if you cannot sound any more naïve, the path to that is impossible for a brat like you! You were lost from the start if you thought you even had the slightest chance of doing so! Every day, there are countless people like you, people who think they have what it takes to have a dream like yours. And all of them fell just you have today." he swung his arm down, and Luffy landed in the still swirling quicksand left earlier "Now you two can dry up in the sun! Mr. 0.5, we're leaving."

" **I really want to eat them right here…"**

"Enough time wasting, you mongrel! Let's go!" Crocodile snarled before walking off. Mr. 0.5 snarled at that last comment, before turning his eye back to a barely conscious, but still defiant Gian.

" **I will leave your corpse to ripen, then devour you later. But first… I'll leave with an appetizer!"** Gian's eyes popped out as searing white pain erupted from his arm, and his screams became unrestricted; Mr 0.5 had ripped an entire strip of flesh from his arm, white bone could be clearly seen as the cannibal ravenously chomped down the strip. When he blacked out at last, it was a blessing.

" **I'll see you soon, try not to rot before then!"** Mr. 0.5 wiped his bloody mouth before disappearing into the sand.

* * *

Luffy and Gian lay in the sand, battered, wounded, and soon, broken; yet a part of them still refused to fall. As the quicksand began to swallow them, their minds were a jumble of thoughts, but even in the face of such facts, they feel like they still must continue on.

Yes, they have to succeed, even if it appears that they are outclassed.

Completely, and utterly outclassed.

 **A/N: Wow, this chapter took quite a bit of time. But I'm glad it's finally here! There's not really much to say, but Alabasta Arc is roughly 50% done at this point, I think. So as you can expect, the rest will be even more intense than this, and by then the fight between Gian and Mr. 0.5 can go all out!**

 **G: Yo… that ending was dark… when did you become so edgy?**

 **It's a sign of the times, my friend, it's a sign of the times…**

 **Responses to Reviews:**

 **To Vergil Leonidas:**

 **First part starts now!**

 **G: I get bodied, what the shit! That is-**

 **Live with it, it's part of life.**

 **To anquan16:**

 **G: He can cash me outside how-**

 **NO! WE ARE NOT GOING THERE. I AM DRAWING THE LINE AT THAT!**

 **G: Dude… I was just kidding… but don't worry, we'll work something out, and if he doesn't he'd better be prepared to catch these hands.**

 **To Change Green G King:**

 **I'm generally trying to make this series a bit more serious, but considering what I'm working with that's impossible, so you can expect humor between the down times of each major plot point. But the first encounter of the two monsters are here now!**

 **To haruaji11:**

 **Ah, the voice actor question. If I had to put it, Gian looks more like Jonathan but acts more like Joseph so I'm probably leaning towards Tomokazu Sugita (who also voices Gintoki! So that works even better), still looking through the list!**

 **Do I really have to?**

 **G: You must**

 **Fine… It Just Works…**

 **G: Actually King Crimson's Ability is-**

 **Long explanation is Long**

 **To Tamagat:**

 **In a sense yes, if Blackbeard is able to touch a Kaiju-Zoan user BEFORE he/she transforms, he is able to negate their ability; this means if Gian was touched before he transforms, he would be unable to heal from any damage taken. A Partial Transformation will revert back to a human. However, Full Transformation, for reasons yet unknown, are immune to this effect.**

 **And that's all for this time! We'll see you again soon!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will start using Pokemon Refresh!**

 **G: I actually forgot about that feature…**


	39. Siege of Alubarna Pt 1

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Alabasta Arc opening: Know Know Know by Does (Gintama Op. 15)**

Beside the still sinking quicksand, it became eerily quiet. That is, until another figure appeared. She looked emotionless into the pit, before shaking her head slightly and crossed her arms.

Immediately, a trail of arms blossomed out of the ground, grasping with coordination. The two previously buried pirates were dragged out into the open. The two of the certainly have seen better days. Luffy has major cuts and lacerations all over his body, while a gaping hole where Crocodile's hook impaled him earlier still bled. Gian, while healing from his numerous injuries including the vicious bite on his arm, had his entire lower body starting from his legs completely dried up; it was a surprise that he was still able to grasp his weapon at all. Neither of them were awake, though that was going to change soon.

"W-where is- huh?" the Kaiju-Zoan's eyes fluttered open first. He looked around him, before noticing the absence of their two opponents. His gaze soon snapped to a still-unconscious Luffy. Concern overcame him as he struggled to reach him. It was only then he realized the sorry state that his legs are in, and came up with the only appropriate response:

"WHAT IN THE HOLY NAME OF-"

He was so preoccupied with that ordeal that he didn't even notice the presence of Miss All-Sunday nearby. The normally stoic woman actually had to stifle a chuckle at that; this crew was just too amusing at times.

"-DAMN THAT CROCODILE TO HELL! HE COULD'VE JUST KILLED US BUT NOOOO HE HAD TO MAKE SURE I'LL POTENTIALLY NEVER HAVE KIDS DOESN'T HE! AND MR. 0.5 TOO! WHEN I FIND THAT SON OF A BITCH I'LL SHOVE MY ENTIRE FIST DOWN HIS THROAT IF HE LIKES CHEWING ON IT SO MUCH!"

"The boundless energy shown by your group never ceases to amaze me." Only then did he realize that he and Luffy were not alone in the area.

"What the-?! What the hell are you doing here?! Come to finish the job?!" Gian snarled as he raised Atom Splitter as best he could. " _78 million bounty or not, I can't believe I didn't notice her!"_

"Even after taking a beating like the one you did, you still have the strength to defend yourself… I don't know whether it's just the Goji-Goji no Mi's regeneration or you just have a large reserve of vitality." Miss All-Sunday smirked "Regardless, you're in luck. I have no wish to dispose of you two, considering the role you two have played thus far."

"…What do you mean by that?"

"That boy," Miss All-Sunday motioned at Luffy "Why does he continue to fight?"

"Why else? To make sure you and your boss's plan never see the light of day? To take back every tear you've drew from our friend?!" Gian growled "You're not exactly in the right moral high ground to be asking that question!"

"You're so simpleminded… that was not what my question was about. I've seen people like him before, those with the middle initial of D. They always continue to fight on even though all odds are stacked against them. I'm simply curious that's all."

"D.? You mean Luffy's middle name? Yeah I have no idea what I means, I've assumed it might stand for Desmond or something but that'd be pretty stupid."

"I expected nothing more…" Miss All-Sunday lightly jabbed "Though, that would explain your presence here, it seems that hasn't changed."

"Ok, now you're making no sense again. What do I have to do with all this?" Gian rasped.

"Ever since the age where Kaiju once roam the world freely, they only lowered their heads to those who display undeniable strength. Those who are fit to be rulers, kings, and leaders. Long after that age, those who have eaten the Kaiju-Zoans still follow in the footsteps of those with the potential power. I won't deny that Monkey D. Luffy is strong in his own way, but he will have to keep going if it wishes to develop further."

"Ok…. I guess that explains why the maniac is with Crocodile, but why tell me all of this?"

"Because out of those people, those with the middle initial of D. always have, in one way or another come into contact with Kaiju-Zoan users." Her gaze lowered a bit at that, as if some past experience made her understand this "I've seen it happen myself."

"Great, so Luffy and I are connected by fate. That still doesn't mean I have an answer for your question." Gian snarked at that "Considering you're technically our enemy, the whole fact you're telling us this in the first place is perplexing."

"I've always been curious about many things, you can say it's done more harm than good even." Miss All-Sunday sighed "Regardless, the events that you will one day play in are things you have to meet alone. Monkey D. Luffy and your friends can only help you so much."

"Now you're talking nonsense again, what does-?"

"I must take my leave now, but if you survive this ordeal, perhaps we'll meet again." And once again, the same mysterious smirk as she mounted a large crocodile similar to the ones they saw back at Rain Dinners, except this one is less bulky and shaped more like a racecar. It was also at this time that another newcomer arrived at the scene. The moment he spotted Miss All-Sunday he drew his sword and prepared to attack.

"You should probably get those two treated, they are the ones responsible for the return of your princess after all." And just like that, Miss All-Sunday rode off into the distance.

"Wait! You didn't answer my… question… What is with that woman?!" Gian snapped. All that talk, and he's still nowhere close to understanding whatever she meant. He could do nothing except sigh and rub his now newly healed arm. Although it had returned to what it looked like before, it was still raw and pink due to all the newly grown nerves.

* * *

"If you two really are the ones that helped Vivi-sama return to this country, then I give you my most sincere of gratitude." The man bowed. He was dressed in simple white robes with purple face paint covering his face. "My name is Pell, I am one of Alabasta's Royal Guards. Let me patch you two up."

Upon saying this, Pell reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial of water. He sprinkled a bit of it onto Gian's dried up legs, and just like that they returned to normal as if they never shriveled up in the first place.

"Water brings an end to the droughts of the desert, though with Crocodile at the helm, the droughts are unending." Pell explained sadly.

"Yeah, that's what we're trying to stop… Hey Luffy, we've got company time to wake up."

A few pats to the head and Luffy sprung up with a cry of "MEAT!" as if he never sustained any injuries in the first place.

"Yeah… he'll be fine. You might want to feed him though." Gian sweatdropped. Pell only smiled and pulled out a few rations, which the boy gulped down ravenously as he was being bandaged up.

"Damn that Crocodile! I can't believe he beat me so easily and I couldn't even hit him!" Luffy grunted "When I see him again, I'm totally kicking his ass!" he suddenly perked up "Oh right! I think I remember that my hand was wet for some reason and I was able to grab him! Maybe I'll need water!"

"Now you're thinking with your head Luffy!" Gian grinned "If only Mr. 0.5 is as simple as that. He's more adapted to his powers, and has more experience fighting with it than I do." His fist tightened "But that's only if he is able to burrow! If I can somehow stop him from reaching the ground I should be able to figure out a way to beat him!"

"To think the two of you are able to stand up to Crocodile and his subordinates, it makes me hopeful." Pell said "I fought them myself earlier, but I was rather easily defeated. If you are that strong, then I will help you reach Alubarna in time!"

"That's the thing, how are we supposed to get there without them getting there first?" Gian pointed out.

"You can leave that to me." Immediately Pell's body began to sprout feathers, until he became the shape of a massive hawk.

"I ate the **Tori Tori no Mi: Model Falcon.** I will give the two of you a lift."

"I don't know, I'm kind of heavy…"

"We do not have time to be concerned with that! We have to get to Alubarna!" Pell stated. Gian shrugged and, after Luffy went to get a barrel of water, Pell took off to the skies with them on his back.

They only hope they could be there in time.

 _Meanwhile:_

Outside the capital Alubarna, a group of people are eagerly awaiting the chaos that's about to come. Of these, Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger are smirking confidently. Their plan was an absolute success; their sabotage of the weapons ship near the rebel base in Nanohana had push the rebel army over the edge. Soon, Kohza and the rest of them would be entering the city and the king would be forced to answer. They suppose they should also thank Mr. 2 for the part he played; masquerading as the King was an invaluable part of the plan.

Mr. 1's Den Den Mushi suddenly rang, causing the assassin to pick it up. After a while he responded

"Understood."

Hanging up, he turned to the other agents "Boss just called, Nefeltari Vivi is en route to Alubarna. We will stop her before she even reaches here."

"That should be easy. We know what to expect, and even if those pirates show up we'll take care of them." His partner sneered.

And so, they waited. And just like they expected, a group of riders were approaching fast towards the city. The group of agents grinned as they waited to pounce…

Only for the riders to rush past them before they could do anything.

"WAITWHOWERETHOSERIDERSWEJUSTSAW-BA?!" the mole like Miss Merry Christmas yelped as the agents stared aghast at what just unfolded.

"They were wearing cloaks… and none of them were the princess!" Mr. 2 gawked.

"What are you fools waiting for?! Go after them!" Mr. 1 snapped.

"Those ducks are the fastest creatures in this country… they can outrun us easily. We'll need to separate and take them out one by one." Miss Doublefinger suggested.

Indeed, that was the plan, as they dashed off to apprehend these newcomers.

All this was done while, unbeknownst to them, the real princess was hiding just a few feet away, waiting for the chance to break for it.

"Alright, Carue. Mr. Bushido and the others have set a distraction for us, let's not waste this chance!" Vivi told her animal companion, who quacked in agreement. She nodded before looking back with a hint of worry.

"I hope Luffy-san and Gian-san will make it here soon, we will need their strength to help us… but right now let's focus on getting to father!"

She was just about to leave, when the thundering sound of hooves and feet can be heard. She turned around and saw with wide eyes that the original reason of her return had arrived; the Rebel army had rode in in all their glory.

"Wait! Please! This is all a big misunderstanding! Crocodile is the real enemy!" She tried to yell. However, her voice is easily drowned out by the hundreds of people, and even if it weren't the dust that obscured the area had prevented any of them from seeing her.

She was just despairing over what to do when a familiar voice called out to her. She turned and saw with relief that Usopp had reached her.

"Vivi! It's kind of getting rowdy here. The others have led the agents to elsewhere. It should be safe to enter the city!" the sniper smiled and reached out to her. Vivi was just about to take his hand, until she realized something was amiss.

"Usopp-san… where is your wristband?"

"Wristband? What are you talking about? I might have dropped it earlier, but we need to go now!"

"No… you aren't Usopp-san! Carue we have to run, they found us!" Vivi cried as the duck immediately carried her and dashed off as fast as he could. 'Usopp' scowled upon seeing this, before wiping his face away to reveal none other than the mimicking Mr. 2.

"Curses, who would've guessed that they have found a way around my Mane Mane no Mi? Well at least I took out the long nose, but now I must apprehend the princess!" following that, the okama immediately began hot pursuit after the princess. And it looked like as if he would've caught her too, if not for the intervention of a certain cook. Sanji blocked the okama's way daring him to make another move.

"Vivi-chan, hurry to the castle!"

Vivi nodded gratefully before riding off. Mr. 2 scowled when he saw that.

"You! Who are you supposed to be? I don't remember seeing you with the Straw Hats!"

"All you need to know, is that I'm not letting you lay a finger on Vivi-chan!"

"So you're looking for a fight? Well, then you don't know what you're getting into!" Mr. 2 sneered as he got into a pose. Sanji frown before raising one of his legs, preparing to fight.

 _ **Meanwhile:**_

"Who the hell are you two supposed to be?!" Miss Doublefinger snapped as the two hooded figures they intercepted revealed themselves. Only now did they realize they've been duped in a wild goose chase, as Zoro and Nami seemed to be pleased at leading them away.

"It does not matter, they have made our job much more difficult and now must be taken care of. From the looks of it, the girl is a much weaker fighter. We will take her out first!" Mr. 1 growled before lunging forward, left arm raised. However before he could reach her, his arm was met with the clang of steel as Zoro parried his strike with Sandai Kitetsu. The swordsman himself was rather alarmed to see his blade not draw any blood.

"You have good reflexes, this should be fun. In case you were wondering, I ate the **Supa-Supa** **no Mi** , and became a Steel Human." Mr. 1 explained as his left arm gleamed as it transformed into a metal edged blade. He narrowed his eyes upon watching Zoro more closely.

"Now I recognize you. You are Roronoa Zoro, a swordsman from East Blue, who along with 'Beast Warrior' humiliated 100 agents back at Whiskey Peak. A few years ago you were given the invitation to become the next Mr. 7, but you killed the messenger that told you that."

"Heh, I told him I wanted to be the boss, he didn't like it so what choice did I have?" Zoro grinned as he drew Yubashiri "Are you a swordsman yourself? Then you will be a test for me!"

"Swordsman? What an unruly term." Mr. 1 scoffed "But if you insist on labeling me that, then yes, I am familiar in the ways of your profession. Be warned though, this will be the last fight you will ever encounter." Both of his arms turned to blades after saying that "Miss Doublefinger, I'll leave the girl to you."

"Perfect, I think I'll have plenty of fun with you!" his partner grinned before lunging at Nami, who yelped before running off, the assassin giving chase. As she was running, Nami reached into her dress and pulled out a blue baton shaped weapon. She nodded before clenching her fist down.

" _Everybody else is fighting too, I'm not going to stand around and just do nothing! Let's just hope this so-called Clima-tact that Usopp made me actually has what it takes!"_

 _ **Meanwhile:**_

"Hehe… Shoot the pet!" the rotund Mr. 4 giggled as he aimed his rocket launcher at the Jumping Point of Chopper. The reindeer wasn't exactly having the best time here.

"Why did Sanji had to leave me alone?!" Chopper yelped as he dodged another shot; the rocket launcher wasn't shooting rockets, but explosive baseballs for some reason. When he and Sanji were caught by Miss Merry Christmas and Mr. 4, they were originally going to actually hold their ground. However, when the cook realized something had happened to Usopp, he went off to deal with that, leaving Chopper to fend for himself.

"I have to get closer!" Chopper decided. Biting down on another Rumble Ball, he dropped to all fours where a new transformation took place. Looking similar to a regular deer, except this time his antlers have increased in size greatly. Chopper charged at Mr. 4, trying to catch him off guard. However, it was not to be as the ground underneath him suddenly revealed a mole like creature, which promptly grabbed his hind legs and causing him to trip.

"Youbetterslowdownthere, orelseyouwon'tseewhereyou'regoing-ba!" Miss Merry Christmas in her mole hybrid state cackled, flexing her claws. Chopper groaned before his eyes widened as Mr. 4 stepped up to him, holding a massive baseball bat. The fat man raised his arms and grinned, before preparing to bring it down on the reindeer's head.

" **Kemuri Boshi!"**

A sudden projectile suddenly popped in front of the assassin's face, causing the man to cough and swing wildly. Chopper took this time to transform back into Brain Point and roll out of the way, before looking up to see a defiant, albeit very bruised, Usopp panting as he lowered his slingshot.

"Don't worry… Chopper… I'm here to help!" the sniper gave a shaky grin.

"But you're hurt! Can you even fight like this?" Chopper was concerned.

"Heh…this is nothing… a flesh wound like this… won't stop Captain Usopp!" Usopp boasted painfully, before staring at the opposition and gulping slightly " _I hope…"_

"You made me blind…" Mr. 4 growled as he raised his bat, which made Usopp give a nervous cry as he realize just how large his opponent is.

"Wellthereseemstobeanothermeddlingbrathere! Let'skillhimaswell!" the mole lady also snickered. Usopp and Chopper could only brace themselves for what's to come.

 _ **Meanwhile:**_

"We made it, Carue! Now for the next part of our plan!" Vivi gave a relieved sigh as she raced up the palace. She finally made it through the doors to the top of the building, bursting through to the balcony.

"Vivi!" King Nefeltari Cobra called out "Thank the gods you are safe!"

"Father, we have to hurry! Crocodile could be here any minute! And the rebels are already marching within the city. I have a plan to stop the war!"

"What can we do? I want to go and talk to the rebels but the guards said it was too dangerous. Plus it doesn't look like they will listen!" the king answers.

"We will have to get their attention. Tell the Royal Guard that we need to blow up the palace!"

"Blow up the palace? Is that-?"

"It is an unfortunate sacrifice, but if it will prevent any conflict, then we must do it!" Vivi said with determination.

"I understand, I will-" King Cobra nodded, but before he could give out the order, a guard's pained scream suddenly sounded. Father and daughter looked up in horror to see that their guests have arrived.

* * *

"How disrespectful, you do not wish to see the end of my grand plan… one that I have been preparing for years," Crocodile sneered at them as he enters the door. Behind him, Miss All-Sunday uncrossed her arms as she entered wordlessly, a trail of soldiers slumped over.

"Crocodile!" Vivi's eyes widened in despair "Then that means-"

"Yes, those two supposed saviors of yours are now buried under the sand somewhere. They will not save you this time."

"Crocodile! How much further are you planning to take this?!" The King demanded.

"Kuhahaha… I think you know the answer to that yourself." The shichibukai's grin was terrifying "Of course, if you want to blow the palace up, then I can do that for you. A bomb has already been planted within the building that will destroy the palace entirely!"

"W-what are you even trying to achieve with this?!"

"Simple, I'm eliminating my targets and getting what I seek. Once the palace is gone, it should excavate enough of an area for me to find it."

"Find? What is there to take?!" King Cobra demanded.

"Such a simple mind, I'm looking for a treasure that is supposedly buried in the Alabastan Deserts. A treasure that will shake the world! I will obtain one of the 3 ancient weapons: Pluton!"

* * *

"P-Pluton?! You're insane! That's nothing more than a mere myth!" Cobra stammered.

"Is that so? Even in a place of True History like this, the weapon isn't here? Don't try that with me." Crocodile scoffed "Once I obtain Pluton, not even the World Government can stand against me!"

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the palace, that announcement has been heard by the remaining guards. Their eyes were wide as the real revelation of Crocodile's plan has been revealed.

"Pluton… is one of the 3 ancient weapons really buried under Alabasta?" One of the guards asked. The head guard growled, it was answer even he didn't know. Even in all his years as one of the Royal Guard, Chaka has never experienced this before.

"That isn't something to worry about right now, Vivi-sama is held captive by Crocodile, and we need to go get her!"

During this time, another figure has shown up to the palace. Deciding that the best way to end this without bloodshed, Kohza had arrived at the palace alone while the rest of the rebel army waited elsewhere. When he came to the palace in an attempt to get the king to surrender peacefully, he was subjected to the full truth. His eyes widened behind his sunglasses as he realized the real goal of Crocodile.

"Why, hello there Mr. Rebel Leader! Glad you can join us as well." Crocodile called out from the roof of the palace."

"What is the meaning of this Crocodile?! Are you saying that you've played us all for fools?!"

"That's right, half of you were actually gullible enough to believe every little action I did to turn you guys against the king! I must say, you've proven yourselves very useful for the whole time. I didn't even have to give any directions and you moved exactly where I wanted you to!"

"Kohza, do you see now?" Chaka said to the young rebel "Crocodile has played us all like a game of chess. Right now Vivi-sama is in danger, we have to get up there immediately!"

"The rest of the rebels are here, I need to explain the situation to them as well! I think they will believe both of us, let's go!" Kohza nodded and the two of them prepared to storm the palace.

"Trying to step in unneccesarily are you? I can't have you doing that." Crocodile sneered "That is, if you can even make it to the top…"

The ground underneath one of the Royal Guards suddenly collapsed, sending the man down words to his waist. He struggled to get out, before letting out a gurgled scream of agony as blood gushed out from the pit as he slumped over, his spirit leaving this world.

"What in the-?" Chaka's eyes widened as the ground erupted upwards. As the sand cleared, Mr. 0.5 stretched a bit, before wiping his bloodstained lips and grinning savagely at the group of soldiers.

"Where are you all going, my little morsels?"

"What… kind of monster are you?!" Chaka demanded.

"What kind do you think? I'm just following the rules of nature… You want to save that girl do you? I can't let that happen, not until after the show!"

"Step out of the way at once!" Chaka shouted and dashed forward with his sword drawn. Mr. 0.5 cackled as he swung one of his axes down, the two pieces of steel clanging hard. A group of guards rushed at him with their own weapons drawn, only for Mr. 0.5 to flip around, knocking all of them to the ground.

"You bastard… Kohza snarled as he drew his own sword, attempting a downward slash at the killer. Mr. 0.5 merely ducked before ramming his shoulder into the rebel leader, knocking him down to the ground.

"Don't be hasty, this man is something beyond what we are capable of! We'll need to attack together!" Chaka warned him as he and the rest of the guards all charged at them at once.

"Lambs to the slaughter, the bunch of you! **Lava Pulse!"** the same orange heat wave launched out of his mouth, forcing Chaka to jump out of the way. The guards were not as fortunate however, as the beam struck them directly, lighting them ablaze. As their agonized screams sounded, Mr. 0.5 leapt between them, cutting them all down. Stopping at the last one, he opened his mouth and bit down hard on the neck of one of the still burning guards, before ripping it out.

"Charbroiled… just how I like it."

"You… DO YOU HAVE ANY RESPECT FOR THE LIVES OF THOSE YOU KILL?!" Chaka roared in anger as another transformation took place. His body increased in muscle mass as he took on the form of a black jackal hybrid. Snarling, he rushed forward with another slash, as he crossed steel once more with the killer, actually matching his strength.

"Ohhh? Another Zoan user. It must be my lucky day… **I always did want to try dog meat!"** Chaka's eyes widened in horror as Mr. 0.5 underwent his Partial Transformation. The monstrosity in front of him didn't just change in appearance, his strength actually increased tenfold! Chaka felt himself being pushed back, before Mr. 0.5 slammed a claw down, raking it across his chest and sending him flying into a nearby building. He could vaguely hear Vivi's cry of worry while Crocodile's laughs rang across the sky.

" _How… just by a simple change in form… the difference in strength between us became that far?!"_ He let out a pained breath as he attempted to help Kohza, who was now attacking the Kaiju-Zoan user the best he could. Despite his courage, the rebel leader was mainly on the defensive as Mr. 0.5 struck blow after blow.

" _I can't fall here… his Majesty and Vivi-sama… still need me…"_ Grasping his sword in his mouth, Chaka attempted a dashing attack, moving faster than the eye can see, only for Mr. 0.5 to block the strike with the curved horn jutting out of his forehead. This did, however, give Kohza the opportunity to stab his blade into the side of the monster. Unfortunately this only served to further enrage the Kaiju-Zoan user, who promptly howled and swung an axe down, drawing a gash across his chest as he fell and grunted in pain as he witnessed Chaka getting thrown back.

Mr. 0.5 then howled as he struck both his claws into the dirt and began to burrow. Before Chaka could get another strike in, he had already disappeared into the ground. The guard's eyes darted around as he prepared anxiously for where he's going to emerge, only to realize too late who he was truly targeting.

" **Desert Tunneling Drill!"**

Kohza, barely getting up from the ground, has a mere fraction of a second to raise his sword in an attempt to block the tunneling skull bash that Mr. 0.5 provided as he launched out from beneath the ground like a missile. Even this was not enough, as the sword broke cleanly after a bit of struggling, resulted in Mr 0.5's horn getting impaled into the chest of the rebel leader, narrowly missing his heart. Kohza let out a choked cry as he was launched backwards, breaking through a stone building in the process and landing painfully. Try as he might, even he could not bear the injury sustained by such a savage attack, and he promptly slumped over, his strength beginning to fail.

"KOHZA!" Vivi cried from atop the roof, not realizing until it's too late that Crocodile has already picked her up by the neck and was walking towards the edge. Beside them, the King was restrained by multiple arms, held down as Miss All Sunday looked on impassively.

"Vivi-sama! LET HER- GURK!" Chaka shouted before feeling the teeth of the monster before him bite into his collarbone, causing him to let out a choked yell.

" **I didn't hear you earlier… who did you say you were going to save?!"** the Kaiju-Zoan eater sneered as he forced his jaws down harder. Chaka struggled to get a hand between the teeth in an attempt to dislodge the killer, but even in his jackal form it seemed impossible. **"All you prey are the same… you speak like you even have a chance… but in the end you still fall to me!"**

* * *

Atop the roof, Crocodile took in the sight with relish, mocking the princess as she struggled in vain in his grasp.

"You said you weren't going to let a single life be taken by me… but I've already done so." Crocodile mocked "Those pathetic ideals you hold… take it to your grave, that they themselves brought this country to ruin!" Vivi glared at the man in anger, enraged tears flowing down her eyes.

"Farewell Nefeltari Vivi, die with the rest of this country!" was the only words Crocodile uttered before flinging the princess off the roof. Vivi reached out one last time in vain as she screamed in terror.

Only for a hand to grab hers, as she felt herself be lifted. Her eyes snapped open to see someone whom she thought had perished, but will now fight once more.

"CROCODILE! I'M COMING FOR YOU!" Luffy shouted as the falcon-man continued to take him higher.

"Luffy-san!" she cried out in relief.

"What?! Impossible! How are you alive?!" Crocodile's eyes widened as he saw the boy he previously believe to be killed by him. He didn't get an answer however as Luffy dunked a fist into a barrel of water, before leaping off Pell and throwing a devastating punch, knocking the shichibukai back in a shower of sand.

Down below, Mr. 0.5 had also noticed the newcomer with surprise. This gave enough of an interruption to his attempts to rip out Chaka's throat.

" **Strawhat?! He lives?!"** his eyes widened " **But if he's alive… then that means-"**

"HEY! HAS ANYONE EVER TOLD YOU THAT YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR DIET?!" his eyes darted behind him, only for a leg alit with blue energy to slam into his head, sending him flying off his prey into a nearby building.

"Luffy-san… Gian-san… you're both okay… thank goodness…" Vivi shed some tears of relief as he saw both of them.

"Who… are you supposed to be…?" Chaka coughed out some blood as he looked upon his savior.

"Me? I'm no one special… I do, however… got a score to settle **with him!"** Blue fire washed over his body as Gian's own Partial Transformation emerged with a roar of defiance. Only now does Chaka realize that he existed within the realm of monsters. It was with good timing too, as with a howling roar of rage, Mr. 0.5 launched himself out of the hole, locking arms with Gian in a power struggle.

" **You… I have no idea how you lived… but now I'm definitely devouring you!"**

" **Then come get some then… After all, this battle is only just beginning!"**

* * *

 **A/N: Onward to 39! Onward to the battle! The second half of the Alabasta Arc has arrived! There isn't much out of the ordinary here, save for the fact that the little ending is a bit different. There is a bit of sequence differences here, so there's that.**

 **But aside from that, the real monster battle is happening soon. I'll try to get the canon fights out of the way as fast as possible, as I'm sure the real thing people want to see will be two monsters duking it out! I'll tell you right now, there might be an entire chapter devoted to that! So keep your eyes open for that!**

 **G: I'm getting tired of smiling so much!**

 **Now responses to reviews!**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **G: I would never want to taste that again!**

 **Oh suck it up, anyways, that's all coming very soon!**

 **G: Soon!**

 **To JayH120:**

 **G: I'm cool like that.**

 **Don't be a narcissist…**

 **G: What? It's going to happen eventually anyway right? So might as well work my magic in somehow.**

… **And stop reading ahead!**

 **To Vergil Leonidas:**

 **G: You are cruel.**

 **No, that actually was the best part…**

 **G: That's what you get for building up to it so much.**

 **Yes, yes it is. But as for the voice actor, that's kind of what I'm leaning for right now unless I find someone more fitting.**

 **To anquan16:**

 **If you're sick of starting over, stop giving up**

 **G: Ahhh… classic**

 **To Chance Green G King:**

 **Right, you probably weren't here for that. All monsters used in this will have their most recent incarnation as their appearance, but will have all the powers they can use throughout the series. There are a few exceptions to this, as Godzilla is currently in how he appears in Final Wars. Shin Godzilla will not be what he looks like post-timeskip; that's actually going to be a different subplot altogether.**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **History is definitely involved! You'll see why much later.**

 **G: We goin' in deep!**

 **To CardboardHut:**

 **Thank you! Glad you took an interest to this! And I'm glad to meet more Godzilla fans here, they can actually understand some of the references I make!**

 **But yeah, many of the things you pointed out are definitely things I'm trying to fix. Sometimes I miss a few details and that's what comes out but overall I hope that I'm improving. I just want to say it's good to get some good constructive criticism on this, it tells me what people want to see!**

 **So thank you for finding this!**

 **To Starelight:**

 **Yeah, the relationship should still be the same! There's going to be some funny situations between the two of them but overall that isn't changing! As for the whole arm things, that's going to work someway, but directly cutting an arm of is not one of them.**

 **So yup! That's this chapter! We'll see you soon!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will ride a dolphin!**

 **G: Who am I, Jotaro?**


	40. Siege of Alubarna Pt 2

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Alabasta Arc opening: Know Know Know by Does (Gintama Op. 15)**

When two monsters go head to head, no matter what size, one things is for certain: there's bound to be destruction, lots of it.

The buildings of Alubarna were age old and have stood the test of time, but even they find it hard to bear the brunt of two Partially Transformed Kaiju-Zoan users brawling within the streets. As yet another hole was slammed into one of the walls, the spiderweb cracks spreading out from the impact, it's clear this was not ending any time soon.

Gian winced slightly as he got up from where he had fallen, only forced to roll out of the way as Mr. 0.5, mouth agape and snarling, dove at him again. Taking the advantage of the dust cloud that was formed, he lashed out with a tail strike, the appendage striking the killer across the chest, forcing him back. Gathering his energy, he charged out once again, body checking the other monster out of the hole they made, only to throw him into another building. It was fortunate that the King had previously saw to evacuate some of the residents, or else there would be lives taken that belonged to neither of them.

Meanwhile, Luffy was ready to take the fight to Crocodile once more, the entire length of his arm soaked in water. He watched warily as Crocodile staggered out from the cracked wall, glaring daggers at him all the while. Sand wisps floated around the shichibukai as his anger boiled upon realizing that annoyance of a strawhat still lives.

"Luffy-san, Crocodile has planted a bomb somewhere within the castle! We need to find it or else it will kill everyone in this city!" Vivi called out as Pell still circled around the palace. He had looked around for signs of a place where an explosive might be kept hidden, but found none.

"A word of advice, you should be focused more on things that are about to happen. I don't think those rebels are going to be keeping still." Crocodile taunted, and Vivi saw in horror as the rest of the rebel army came upon the prone body of their leader. From her height she could see with slight relief that Kohza, though grievously wounded, was still breathing slightly. This wasn't what was on her mind however.

"The Royal Guard… THEY ATTACKED KOHZA-SAN IN COLD BLOOD!" one of the rebels snarled. A few distances away, Chaka was help to his feet by some of the remaining guards when he sensed that tensions are about to rise.

"Hold your weapons! There's a crisis going on at the-" any attempts to dissuade the situation was rendered null when the rebels brandished their weapons and charged, forcing the guards to fight back. Soon, the entire square was ablaze with the sound of clashing steel.

"STOP! EVERYONE! YOU HAVE TO STOP FIGHTING NOW!" Vivi begged, but the noise of the battle had drowned out all attempts to reach them by voice. The princess looked on in despair as she realized that no one can hear her at all.

"In the end, your plan of stopping such an event failed anyway… how pathetic." Crocodile sneered.

"SHUT UP, CROCODILE!" Luffy shouted as he threw another punch, forcing Crocodile to dodge "Vivi will succed! I'll help her by beating you up!"

"Insolent brat… You really have no idea what you're dealing with here." Sand began whipping around the shichibukai "It would've been better if you didn't discover my devil fruit's limitations, because now there's absolutely no chance you will survive!"

Vivi gave the boy one last concerned glance before flying off on Pell. She hardly got much further before two waves of orange and blue energy beams flew upwards towards the sky. Soon after there was the crack of another wall as Mr. 0.5 smashed through it, grappling with Gian all the while.

" _What is this overwhelming energy that I feel…?"_ Vivi gasped inwardly as the two broke apart; the moment the two Partially Transformed Kaiju-Zoan users entered her vicinity she was subjected to an almost oppressive force, as if something was crushing and pinning her down. It was fearsome, primal, and not of this world.

When she looked between the two of them, however, Vivi could see differences in their visage. Mr. 0.5's eyes were almost unbridled with savagery, feral delight that can only be satisfied with the tearing apart of flesh. Looking at him right now, one would not even be able to tell the difference between him and a flesh eating ogre.

When she looked at Gian however, it wasn't quite the same. The same feral expression was there, but while Mr. 0.5 was almost unhinged, the other's amber colored eyes displayed something not seen. Gian's eyes at this point could bore holes in his opponent if they could, and Vivi finally saw what it represented:

Willpower.

Those eyes were determined, never breaking, unflinching. Even with the primeval look behind them, Gian displayed a sense of sanity Mr. 0.5 did not have. Those eyes displayed dominance, but not subjugation: It's locus of control within a battle.

Vivi could not help but gasp when two shadowy images of twin beasts flashed behind both Kaiju-Zoan users. At this point, the wind began to pick up in the area. She had only seen Gian take such a form twice, neither of which were truly hostile. This time, she knew it was to be different.

And that could not happen here.

"Gian-san! You have to take this out of the city! If you're going to do what you're about to do here, then people will be caught in the crossfire!" She cried out.

Gian glanced back at the princess for a bit. His initial strategy had been pretty simple; keep the murderous serial killer from reaching the ground, thus eliminating the need for him to worry about his burrowing ability. The thought of all the resulting destruction he could cause had been on his mind, but his main focus was on the task at hand. Vivi's warning brought some common sense back to him. There are still people within the city that could be crushed should their fight escalate to that level.

" **You're right, it could definitely get to that level. I will say that you have no idea how annoy he gets when his feet touches the ground, so if I lose an arm out there it's coming out of your paycheck!"**

"Thank you! That's all I can ask of you!" Vivi nodded gratefully "Everyone is fighting… I can't even get through to them! I can't even warn them about the bomb!"

" **At this point it's best to- wait, did you say bomb?! There's a bomb added to all this now?!"**

"Yes, Crocodile's true goal is to use a bomb to eliminate everyone in this kingdom, alongside with finding one of the ancient weapons!" Gian cursed upon hearing that; they're now on a timer for what they need to do…

" **I'd thought my glorious leader would've disposed of you right now…"** Mr. 0.5 snarled when Vivi revealed that fact " **You won't be going anywhere this time…"** the killer pounced towards the airborne princess, intending to bring her down. A hard punch to the gut had other plans however, as he was sent flying towards the outer walls of the city.

" **I don't think you were listening earlier… She wanted us to go outside!"** Gian shouted as he forced himself to get the writhing killer away from the princess " **Try to convince those fighting to tone it down a bit! I'll see if I can find one of the others to help with the bomb issue!"** Vivi nodded when she was given that order, before flying off in another attempt to pacify the situation. She prayed that her friends will be alright.

* * *

 _Meanwhile:_

The sound of steel striking each other can be heard in one part of town, as two swordsman battled back and forth. Mr. 1 had not expected the fight to drag on for this long; even with Roronoa Zoro's reputation he'd believe he'd make short work of him. However, the green haired swordsman has not faltered once, even though his body is now littered with small gashes, curtesy of the assassin's handywork. In contrast, Mr. 1's metal body has hardly a scratch on it.

"I do not see any reason for you to keep this up. It is already clear that, while you are skilled as a swordsman, you cannot hope to match up to my skill."

Zoro growled upon hearing that, but he couldn't deny it. Mr. 1's steel body was something that his swords could not penetrate, try as he might. Pride wouldn't allow him to back down however, as he once again got into a stance.

" **Oni Giri!"**

The slicing attack slammed into Mr. 1's metal blade arms, sparks flying as the two warriors pushed against each other.

"You are certainly tough, I had not expected you to last this long." Mr. 1 grinned as the fingers on one hand also gained the bladed edges of metal. Zoro's eyes widened as the clawlike hand was aimed as his head, forcing him to roll out of the way. His shock further increased as Mr. 1's attack struck a nearby building, making 5 cuts cleanly through it.

"A further testament to the difference in our strength." Mr. 1 sneered as more bladed edges appeared on his legs. Lashing out with a powerful kick, he took the fight back to Zoro, who once again had to block the incoming strike.

Mr. 1 scowled upon seeing this; the tenacity of his opponent is starting to get to him. Normally something like that is to be respected, but in this case, it is only beginning to annoy him. This swordsman clearly does not know when to quit. He decided it was time to bust out some of his deadlier techniques.

Zoro rushed at him again, swords drawn and ready for blood. He really needed to find out how to get past that body of steel. Now, however, Mr. 1 is no longer messing around. Combining his now bladed hands, he met the charge, the two crashing together in a clang of steel. For a while, nothing.

Until Zoro let out a yell of pain as a part of his chest was sliced into, blood bursting from the fresh wounds. What was even more surprising and terrifying was that the pillar behind them was also cleanly bisected, its rubble now tumbling to the ground in even pieces.

Gasping in pain, Zoro couldn't block the next strike as Mr. 1 took a stance before him.

" **Atomic Spar!"**

Bringing his arms down in an X motion, Mr. 1 made a massive X shaped attack on the swordsman. Zoro released another cry of pain, almost losing grip on both Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri. Once again, the walls behind him were diced up as well.

" _Just how much is this cutting power?!"_ Zoro thought desperately as he gripped his swords, struggling to stand. But Mr. 1 didn't let up one bit.

Zoro's eyes widened as he witnessed both of Mr. 1's arms began to _rotate_ , and upon closer inspection he saw that both his arms had turned into spinning drill shaped blades. Still hazy with blood loss, he couldn't avoid the assassin's next attack.

" **Spiral Hollow!"**

The damage was severe; the twin assaults pierced his chest like a white hot needle, rending his flesh. Zoro choked out a pained croak as agony filled his body completely.

The assault continued for a few more seconds, before Mr. 1 stopped and observed. To his surprise, the swordsman was still breathing despite the grievous wound. Such a degree of endurance is something he had not expected, but it does not matter now. One more attack should finish him off for good.

" **Spar Break!"**

One more cross slash, and like before, the powerful blow ripped Zoro apart, alongside another building behind him. Only then did Zoro finally slump over from his injuries.

"In the end, your efforts were for naught." Mr. 1 stoically said "I will finish you off for good now." Both his fingers and feet were now tipped with blades as he prepared to finish the job.

But Zoro was not completely out of it.

His mind dazed, his body shredded, pride and determination were the only thing keeping him together at this moment. With herculean effort he managed to lift his head and glared at Mr. 1. The Baroque Works agent was in for quite the shock to see his foe still having fight in him.

" _It's no use… even now, I still can't cut steel…"_

His eyes hardened; this isn't enough to break him! Gripping the still sheathed Wado Ichimonji, Zoro staggered to his feet. Images of Mihawk, and all of his other previous opponent's flashed before his eyes. He still has a dream to reach and even injuries such as these will not keep him down. Tying his bandana round his head, he got into another stance.

" _It's funny, only when I'm on the brink like this, it's as if I can sense every breath he takes…"_

He only has one chance to strike, he needed to make this count.

"You're attempting to strike me with one sword? Even with multiple swords you were unable to pierce my body. This fight is over now." Mr. 1 muttered as he crouched.

"This one attack… is all I need… **Ittoryu lai…"**

" **Atomic Spurt!"** Mr. 1 shouted as he dashed towards his opponenet, and Zoro did in kind. The two swept past each other, both unmoving and silent until:

"… **Shishi sonson!"**

And with the sheathing of Wado Ichimonji, Mr. 1's released a spray of blood as the immense slash cut through solid steel. It was a wound too grievous for even him to bear, and he slumped over, gasping.

" _To think… he was able to transcend himself… at the last minute…"_ he thought faintly as his wounds took over; when he thought of it, it wasn't a bad matchup at all "Heh… you can cut steel now… Are you going to cut diamond next…?" Then Mr. 1 fell flat, all consciousness leaving him. His final thought was hoping that the Boss will succeed.

Zoro glanced back slightly; he had cut steel at last. It was something that will never trouble him again.

"Thank you for this, now I am much stronger." He rasped before falling to his knees as blood loss caught up to him.

 _Meanwhile:_

"USOPP, WHAT IS WITH THIS WEAPON OF YOURS?!" Nami yelped as she hobbled around, clutching her wounded shoulder. This fight had really gone downhill the moment she even brought it out; what was Usopp thinking making a weapon that's good for nothing but gags?! Honestly her old wooden bo staff was much more useful than this…

The wall behind her shattered as she screamed and dashed off. Miss Doublefinger was getting annoyed. She expected this fight to be easy, but the task of having to chase an opponent who doesn't even know how to fight is something she'd rather not burden herself with. Morphing both her hands into long, sharp spikes she thrust them towards the orange haired girl as she continues to run.

"Enough with the stalling! If all you're going to do is perform cheap magic tricks, then your death will no longer be painless!"

" _Alright… one of these attacks have to work…!"_ Nami thought desperately as she dodged. Pointing the blue stick towards the female assassin, she prepared to unleash another attack: **Thunder Tempo!**

Only to have a punching glove shoot out of it, which Miss Doublefinger ripped away easily.

"USOPP, WHEN I DIE I'M COMING BACK TO HAUNT YOU FOR THIS USELESS WEAPON!" Nami screamed as she ran off again.

" _Come on… there's got to be something in these instructions that tells me how to use this!"_

As she skimmed through the words written on the paper, reading for whatever could come in handy, she noticed a small detail on the bottom of the sheet that she failed to notice before.

"A second page to this?"

Turning it around she finally realized what she's been missing all this time.

"Usopp, you've made something great…"

Before she could do anything, she felt multiple sharp objects slam into her back as she cried out in pain and fell to the ground. The blue spiked ball uncurled to reveal Miss Doublefinger once again, each of her fingers morphed into spikes.

"Caught you at last… There really is nowhere to run now. That toy of yours won't save you this time!"

Nami shakily brought up the Clima-tact and pointed it at her, only making the assassin laugh.

"Please, is this another one of your tricks? It's not going to help-"

She was caught off guard as the front of the staff spun and flew towards her, the blue pole boomeranging towards her, knocking her into a stone wall as the staff returned to her hand.

"Ok… that was actually pretty awesome!" Nami grinned shakily. The basics of this weapon was simple to grasp once you knew the mechanics behind it: the 3 pieces of the staff created special bubbles, Heat, Cool and Thunder, that can be used to manipulate the air. All it takes is someone that understand the effects these can have to use it effectively. No wonder Usopp said it was meant for her! That previous **Cyclone Tempo** involved the manipulation of the Heat and Cool bubbles to create wind currents, which results in the spinning effect.

"Not bad girl… it seems you can actually do a few things…" Miss Doublefinger snarled as she got up. Nami's eyes widened as she stabbed both her shoulders with her spikes, and they widened even further as she noticed her arms bulged out; hard bumps covering them akin to a spiked mace.

"But it isn't going to be enough! **Stinger Flail!"**

Slamming the enhanced appendage down, she attempted to brain her target with a single strike. But the moment it struck the orange haired girl, she was shocked to find that the girl had disappeared like a wisp of smoke…

"What?! What is this?!"

The sound of footsteps made Miss Doublefinger turn to see Nami disappear around another corner. Growling, she gave chase again.

Further ahead, Nami was busy throwing multiple Cool and Heat bubble out as much as she can. The **Mirage Tempo** managed to buy her some time, but she needed to work fast. From what she read, an attack that could help her end this fight is one that takes a lot of preparation, so she needs all the time she can get.

A battle cry and a spiked arm slammed into a pillar near her, breaking it to pieces. Miss Doublefinger has caught up, and using her other hand, she morphed it into another long spike and thrusted towards Nami again. This time, the sharp object managed to impale through her leg, causing the girl to cry out and fall to the ground.

She looked back in horror, before grinning to realize her preparations were complete: a decent sized cloud has formed on top of the assassin, who hadn't noticed due to her blood lust.

" **Thunderbolt Tempo!"**

And just like that, the woman was shocked by many volts of electricity.

As Miss Doublefinger slumped to the ground, struggling to get up, Nami held the staff in front of her directly, the poles combined to a T. This next attack, according to the instructions, could only be used once per battle, so she made sure to first cripple her opponent first.

"Hey miss, you should watch out for tornados!"

The dazed Miss Doublefinger looked up and saw that the Clima-tact was already beginning to spin. Desperately, she morphed her entire bush of hair into a spike helmet and tried to gore the orange haired girl, who only barely managed to stop it in the form of sticking her injured leg out as the spikes dug into her soles.

" _Oww… that was a bad idea…"_ Nami winced " _But this is nothing! All the pain I've endured in this fight… is nothing compared to what Vivi is feeling right for this country right now!"_

"I hope this works… **Tornado Tempo!"**

And just like that, the T shot off the rest of the staff. Two doves attacked to a long wire spiraled out of the fired piece, entangling Miss Doublefinger as they carried her further and further. But that wasn't the end of it. The force was so great that it slammed her through multiple stone walls, even pushing Nami back quite a distance over how strong the weapon is.

By the time her momentum stopped, Miss Doublefinger has already slipped out of consciousness. This fight has ended.

"Wow… that actually worked…" Nami breathed before slumping down. Who would've expected a fight to be this exhausting?

* * *

 _Meanwhile:_

" **Mouton shot!"**

" **Hakucho Arabesque!"**

Flesh impacted flesh as the powerful legs of Sanji and Mr. 2 collided with each other. Both were strong physical fighters in their own right, and when it came down to it, it really came down to who hits the hardest, and the fastest.

Both of them, wielders of their own fighting techniques, hadn't expected the other to be a near equal to the other, though this only made the fight more intense. The battle was almost dead even, with neither giving any way to the other.

"I must say, for you to withstand my Okama Kenpo for this long and actually keep up…" Mr. 2 panted as he glared at the cook "You're actually quite a troublesome fighter."

"Glad you knew that, because you're about to feel it!" Sanji declared before throwing another kick. Once again the okama managed to counter the leg with his own, the force of the blow sending both of them back.

"When it comes to kicks, it doesn't seem like you have anything special!"

"Stop joking around! I don't have just the power of my Okama Kenpo! I also have the manipulating ability of my Mane Mane no mi!" Mr. 2 shouted as he brushed his face once, instantly replacing his head with Usopp's.

"Now, do you have a heart that you'd even- ACK?" whatever he was about to say was cut short as Sanji planted his foot into the side of his head.

"Y-you fiend! How can you even bear to attack your own comrade?!"

"Don't give me that shit! Even if your face is different, you're still the same shitty okama!" Sanji snapped angrily "My real friends have been through many times together, it takes more than a simple façade to fool me!"

"What strong friendship!" Mr. 2 wept tears of joy "It makes me proud to see a group that has been through thick and thin! Now the faces I copied from them are useless, what am I going to do with all of them?" he cried as he shifted through all the other Straw Hats' copied impressions. It was here that Sanji revealed a glaring weakness, one that Mr. 2 did not fail to notice.

Simply put, all the Okama had to do was transform into the physique of Nami, and the cook would lose all focus as he is entranced by the beauty of the navigator. Mr. 2 grinned upon seeing this: He finally has an edge!

"You fool! You let your emotions cloud your thinking and now you've given me the time to strike! **Okama Chop!** " In his lovestruck stupor Sanji failed to realize Mr. 2 had switched back, and he was sent tumbling away.

"Dammit! You-" Sanji grimaced and lashed out with another kick. The flying leg stopped inches when he realized that the Okama had turned back to Nami again. Even though he knew what trick the sneaky Mr. 2 is pulling, his own morals prevented him from bringing any harm to the impersonator, something that Mr. 2 took full advantage of. Another kick, the same result. And each time, Mr. 2 got in a free strike. It's not like he could do anything to begin with anyway; even seeing the navigator's form is enough to send the cook into a lovestruck trance. Soon Sanji layed bruised while Mr. 2 cackled triumphantly.

" _Damn that Okama… using Nami-san's image like that…"_ Sanji gritted " _I can't even get a hit in if I'm seeing her face…"_

Mr. 2 attacked once again, forcing Sanji to jump out the way. When he tried to attack again, Mr. 2 pulled the same trick once again.

"For all your strength earlier, you can't do anything against a woman it seems! I will finish you off now! **Mascara Boomerang!"**

Indeed, even the okama's makeup are hidden weapons. As Sanji leapt to avoid the bladed mascara, he noticed one major hole in Mr. 2's plan.

"Don't count me out yet! **Basse Cote!"** Faster than before, Sanji leapt towards the Okama, giving him no chance to retaliate. One kick towards Mr. 2's face sent him whirling before he even got the chance to morph.

"So it true, there is one problem to your Mane Mane no Mi. You can use it to disorientate your enemy, but while you're impersonating someone, you can't use your moves! That's why you have to change back before you throw out any of your okama kenpo."

Mr. 2 cursed; he figured he catch on eventually, but not this soon "So you've figured it out! No matter, you're already weakened at this point so I already have the edge! But just to be safe…"

Mr. 2 suddenly did a backflip, dislodging the two swan heads on his pack. He landed in another martial arts pose, the swan heads now attached to his feet.

"You'd want to watch out for these kicks, these swan heads are tipped with iron and pack a wallop!"

"Don't talk big if you can't back it up! This fight still isn't over!" Sanji declared " **Tendron!"**

" **Prima!"**

The two kicks collided in midair once again, this time enough to force another shockwave that sent both combatants slamming into the nearby stone walls, leaving rather wide cracks as they impacted.

" _That shitty okama wasn't lying… those birds on his feet actually do feel like getting hit with a gunshot… if I didn't counter it sooner I would've had a hole through my body…!"_ Sanji winced, before getting into a combat stance again. Across, Mr. 2 also shook off the fatigue and prepared another kick.

" **Bombardier!"**

" **Flanchet!"**

" **Keri Pointe!"**

" **Cuisseau!"**

And it went on, both sides throwing their best leg forward, dealing kicks that would've easily downed a normal person. Neither side seemed to be giving way at all, despite each strike they throw against each other dealing great damage.

"This is getting out of hand… there has to be some way I can break this stalemate…" Sanji grunted as he narrowly avoided the incoming swan head. It was only then, watching the almost hypnotic movement of Mr. 2's feet enhancements, did he find out the pattern of his attacks.

" _So that's it then… those birds can increase the power of his kicks, but in doing so it needs a much more significant time delay for the swans to reach full length… That's it!"_ Indeed, as he was dodging once more, he noticed that the birds took a while to straighten out, which is the focus of those bullet-like kicks…

"So all I have to do is kick him faster than he can kick me then!" Sanji declared as he leapt upwards, over the okama.

"Don't even try! I'll use my strongest attack in my Okama Kenpo arsenal to finish you off for good!" Mr. 2 leapt up as well.

"Behold! **Bombardier Arabesque!"**

" **Veau Shot!"**

The two final strong kicks both sped past the other, hitting both fighters directly, one final blow, its power enough to send them both skyward, before they made impact with the ground.

Both of them struggled to get back to their feet, each still not willing to give up. However, only one could emerge victorious, and as Sanji staggered to his feet, Mr. 2 slumped down and groaned painfully.

"Alas, I have been defeated. It seems you really are strong enough to take on my Okama Kenpo…" the okama wept.

"Good, you better not try any more funny business, and don't think about transforming into any more people!"

"What's the point? I no longer have the strength to fight. When you kill me, please do it quickly."

"…Kill you? Why would I do that?" Sanji raised an eyebrow.

"I'm dead regardless even if you don't! Zero-chan surely won't tolerated my failure! He'll probably dispose of me… Or he'll let Half-chan disembowel me and roast me over a fire for him to feast on! Oh, I can't bear that! So just put me out of my misery now!" Mr. 2 cried.

"Come on now… I'm not going to do that!" Sanji smiled softly before reaching out a hand "It was a pretty good fight, you had me on the ropes many times."

Mr. 2 was in tears over the mercy of his opponent, and returned the handshake in kind "Yes… it was a good fight. A true battle between friends-" before he was interrupted by a swift kick that knocked him out cold.

"That was for hurting Usopp and stealing his goggles…" Sanji glowered as he retook his friend's sniper goggles, planning on returning them later.

* * *

 _Meanwhile:_

"Usopp… this isn't good! We can't even get a good hit in!" Chopper shouted to the dazed sniper as explosions peppered ground. The chunky Mr. 4's rocket launcher wasn't just a rocket launcher, but rocket launcher that was fused with a canine Zoan fruit. Mr. 4 didn't even have to hoist the weapon around, as it can just run around on its own, firing explosive baseballs at the two. This left the big man to swing his steel bat at his leisure in an attempt to strike the screaming sniper of the Straw Hats.

The ground under Chopper broke loose to reveal Miss Merry Christmas once again, claws outstretched. The mole-zoan has constructed a series of tunnels beneath the two, and every so often she'd pop out of one of many conveniently placed burrows to slash at the two. This disorientating, quick striking battle plan has left Usopp and Chopper lagging and unable to keep up.

"Areyouallgettingtiredyet? Simplyrunningaroundanddodginguswiththesesimplegames?" The mole lady demanded.

"Don't…believe that for one second… Captain Usopp… never runs from a fight!" The sniper panted. Inward however he was bashing himself over the head at what the two of them could possibly do.

"Whydoyoustillstruggle? Youshouldjustbelikeyourcaptainandfirstmateanddiethebraveway!" this comment made both drop what they were doing and stared at her in disbelief.

"L-Luffy and Gian are dead?!" Usopp croaked "T-that can't be true!"

"Ohbutitis! We'vealreadygotreportthattheBossandMr. 0.5havelefttheirbodiestorotinthedesert! Theywerefoolstobelievetheycanevenstandaslightchanceagainstthem!" Miss Merry Christmass cackled.

"Luffy can't die! He's going to become the next Pirate King! And have you seen what Gian can do? All he has to do is turn into that giant monster form and nothing can stand in his way!" Usopp shouted.

"HAHAHA!Don'tmakemelaugh! Thatbrathasn'tagrainofsand'sworthinbeingthenextpirateking! AndanymonsterBeastWarriorcanbecome, Mr.0.5istwicethemonsterhecanbe! Sofaceit, theyare6feetunderandpushingupdaisies!"

"NO! You're lying! Luffy and Gian would never die in a place like this!" Chopper shouted indignantly.

"Believewhatyouwill, thosetwoareasgoodasdead! Soonyoutwowillmeetthesamefate!" Miss Merry Christmas scoffed before she disappeared down another tunnel.

"They're attacking in sync, we have to get one of them first!" Usopp decided. The two spotted Mr. 4 still lumbering towards them, and charged at him together. Before they can reach him, Miss Merry Christmas popped out of the ground and pounced at a Jump Point Chopper, who wasn't able to get out of the way as the two of the tumbled around in the sand.

Usopp gulped; he's the only one that can do reach the man. Reaching into his back pocket, he suddenly revealed a massive hammer, the size almost as tall as he is, and lifted it into an attack position. Mr. 4 soon stopped in his tracks and stared in dumb disbelief at the size of the weapon.

"WAAAAH. Mr.4becareful!" the mole lady shrieked.

"WOOOOWWWW Usopp that is so amazing!" Chopper glowed.

"Heh, I told you I still have plenty of tricks up my sleeves! Now behold the power of my **Usopp Pound!"** and swiftly did Usopp bring the hammer down on Mr. 4's cranium, bashing him downwards.

"MR.4NOOOOOO!" Miss Merry Christmas cried.

" _Phew… I think that worked… I hope they won't realize that this hammer is actually only made out of paper and isn't heavy at all…"_ Well, that's a thing.

"YEAH! USOPP GO GET EM!" Chopper cheered.

"Now it's your turn you stupid mole! Take this!" Usopp began chasing after the mole lady, who shrieked and tunneled down in an effort to avoid the massive maul. He's loving this, the rush of power he gets when he's finally in control.

That is, until Mr. 4's dog bazooka fired another explosive baseball, this one hitting the hammer dead on, destroying it instantly and revealing the façade.

"Ohhh… this isn't good…" Usopp whimpered.

"GETAWAYFROMMEYOU- wait…THISISJUSTTWOFRYINGPANSWRAPPEDINPAPER!" Miss Merry Christmas shrilled. Hearing this Mr. 4 also got out of his stupor and glared angrily at Usopp, who let out a nervous chuckle.

"Oooohhhyou'rethinkyou'reafunnylittlemanaren'tya?! We'llgiveyousomethingtolaughat!"

Miss Merry Christmas suddenly drilled back into the ground, disappearing from sight. Usopp began running in terror, only to feel something grip his legs and drag him back towards the livid Mr. 4.

"We'llteachyoutoscrewwithus! BusthisheadopenMr.4!" the mole lady cackled as the rotund assassin grinned and lifted the steel bat, swinging it cleanly into Usopp's chest and sending him flying into the sand dunes.

"USOPP!" Chopper shouted as he dodged a few more exploding baseballs. He was relieved when he saw the sniper stager to his feet, albeit heavily injured.

"Stillalivehuh? Wellthisshouldfinishyou!" Miss Merry Christmas once again repeated the same trick, as she clamped around Usopp's legs as the screaming sniper felt himself being carried towards Mr. 4 once again.

" _No..! If Usopp gets hit one more time by that bat there's no doubt he'll die! I'll have to- That's it!"_ Chopper suddenly realized that there is one thing that can hit the mole even while she's underground! Leaping towards the dog bazooka, he snatched it off the ground while the startled weapon yelped and writhed around.

"Usopp, catch! Use it to blow her out of the ground!" Chopper shouted as he threw the howling weapon at the sniper.

"Gahhh… it's moving around so much…" Usopp grunted as he tried to steady the wriggling dog cannon. "Looks like I'm only going to have a single shot for this, I better not mess this up!"

With some difficulty he managed to level the rocket barrel towards the ground "HEY, PENGUINHAG!"

Miss Merry Christmas peeked her head out to deliver a rebuttal about how her Devil Fruit makes her a mole hybrid, only to be met with the opening of a bazooka. She barely let out scream as Usopp forced the dog to fire an explosive baseball, the resulting explosion managed to send him skywards before landing painfully in the sand.

"Ughhh… I am never doing that again…" a dazed Usopp grumbled as he tried to stand. Naturally being so close to an explosion had its downsides, his body is singed and smoking. None of this compared to what Miss Merry Christmas looks like, however. The mole lady's entire body is covered in soot, her eyes swirls as she bore the brunt of the blast. She's still breathing, but she won't be getting up anytime soon. The explosion also knocked out the dog bazooka as well, returning it to an inanimate object.

A shout alerted them from celebrating as Mr. 4 rushed towards them, swinging his bat in rage. Usopp yelped as he tried to run off, but Chopper placed himself in front of him.

"I didn't get to use this earlier, but you won't get one step closer to Usopp! **Horn Point!"**

Once again the little deer transformed into the heavily antlered form he took on before. Chopper braced himself; he's only got less than a minute of Rumble Ball time left, so he's got to make this attack count!

The two fighters rushed against each other, but Chopper was one step faster. Soon Mr. 4 found himself on the receiving end of this newfound power boost as he was cleanly lifted from the ground by the powerful antlers. One heave of Chopper's head tossed him high up into the air.

"Let's finish him together, Chopper! I'll use this! Usopp grinned as he took out a rubber band. Tying the contraption around the reindeer's horns. Chopper grinned as he realized the sniper's plans.

" **Hissatsu: Uso-Cho Hammer Suisei!"** the two shouted together as Usopp shot a metal hammer towards the still airborne Mr. 4. The fat assasin's eyes widened as he swung the bat around in vain to try and block it, but to no effect as the mallet smashed into his face, knocking him out of the sky. He was out before he even hit the ground.

"We…We did it Chopper! We've won!" Usopp gave an exhausted cheer before falling down.

"AAAHHHHH! USOPP! SOMEBODY CALL A DOCTOR!"

"Aren't you the doctor?!"

"Oh… yeah that's right!"

* * *

But the two of them barely had any time to catch their breath as a loud BOOM alerted them. No sooner did they hear it, they feel the ground shake as if something heavy had slammed into it, rocking them off balance.

"OH COME ON! JUST GIVE US A BREAK!" Usopp screamed with tears streaming out of his eyes.

Something shot out of the resulting dust cloud and landed near the two. Usopp and Chopper's eyes widened as they recognized an all too familiar face.

"G-Gian?! You're alive!"

" **Where else would I be? I'm too handsome to die right now!"** The Partially Transformed man grinned back.

"YUS! IT REALLY IS YOU!" the two cried and wrapped him in a bear hug "TAKE THAT PENGUINHAG! I TOLD YOU THEY WERE- Wait, Luffy's alright too right?"

" **Last time I check, he just punched Crocodile in the face so probably? But more importantly, WOULD YOU TWO KINDLY GET OFF OF ME I'M KIND OF IN A-"**

" **RRRAAAAAARGHGHH!"**

Usopp and Chopper screamed as Mr. 0.5 torpedoed out of the dust cloud as well, frantically scrambling off of the Kaiju-Zoan user as they witnessed the two Partially Transformed beasts slam against each other.

" **You two! Get inside the city! Vivi needs your help! There's a bomb planted somewhere and she needs your help finding it so find the others and go search for it!"**

"B-bomb?! Then we have to go right away! Don't worry, you can leave it to us! Let's go Chopper!"

"Alright! But… do you think Gian needs our help?"

No sooner did Chopper say that did the two of them witness a terrifying sight. Mr. 0.5 dislodged himself from combat, leapt back, reared back his head and fired a fiery orange beam of heat. Gian responded in kind by also firing an **Atom Ray**. The two beams collided in the midair, pushing against each other before releasing in a violent explosion that blancketed the area, leaving the two bystanders slack jawed.

"THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO AGAINST THAT!"

"YOU'RE RIGHT! LET'S GO FIND THAT BOMB!

Seeing the two had scrambled off Gian breathed a sigh of relief.

" **It's just you and me now, psychopath! I've got all the space I need to dish out the hurt!"**

" **Kihehehe… you haven't learned a thing… by getting me out here, you just signed your own will!"**

Mr. 0.5 waved a claw around them, as Gian swallowed and glared anxiously " **Look around you… we're in open desert now! You've brought me back to my natural environment! You were so concerned that you'd damage your precious princess' city that you'd even forego your own chances of a fair fight! That conscience will be the end of you!"**

" **Don't think just a bit of sand is going to kill me! Last time I was caught off guard, I'm ready for whatever trick you throw at me now!"**

" **Then I'll enjoy feasting on you soon!"** Mr. 0.5 cackled as he drilled into the ground, leaving Gian to brace himself for when he's going to appear.

" _ **Yep, I knew he'd go underground again… well, there's no going back now… time to own what I've done!"**_ Gian let out a war cry as he gathered atomic energy into both fists, ready to slam them down as the ground in front of him began to crack…

 **A/N: Ok… so it's been a month… there were lots of things that just keep coming my way. University is just one big kick in the pants after another. So naturally that kind of kept my update schedule off. I also had an internal debate on whether I wanted to include the other fights in the story or not; and eventually I settled with having a few simplified fights that still kept the general development for the characters. So next chapter, it's going to be an all-out monster mayhem.**

 **With that being said, once the end of April rolls along, I should have a faster upload schedule once again. At least then school won't be a big worry. So just wait on that. Also with this being the 40** **th** **chapter, I'll have more character information about Gian uploaded on my author page, so look out for that!**

 **Responses to Reviews:**

 **To hcharper101:**

 **That was a reference to- never mind…**

 **Just read one of the earlier reviews, someone guessed it spot on!**

 **To Artoria Pendragon:**

 **Yup, heard all about it! The fact that I gotta wait until 2019 to watch it is painful though.**

 **To anquan16:**

 **I still haven't decided whether or not to use the Pacific Rim Kaiju yet, I haven't really had an opportunity to put them in, and with how the current story goes, I might have to turn it into an original arc or an original movie if I do.**

 **To Chance Green G King:**

 **I'm glad the interactions were a thing you liked, we'll be adding more later!**

 **To JayH120:**

 **As I eventually ended up doing, all the fights are here, though they are slightly changed, in a different order and overall shortened.**

 **To tamagat:**

 **I don't even know if that's a power or not… though you are close on something I plan to do with a certain element of Kaiju-Zoans that I teased in an earlier chapter.**

 **To Guest 1:**

 **Yeah… he's not here at the moment. You see he kind of got tired of waiting for me to finish this chapter so he took a vacation to Cancun and hasn't- wait, he left a note… Ah, it says if anyone has any questions for me, either say I didn't do it, or I'll gladly do it.**

 **Well, there's that.**

 **To Vergil Leonidas:**

 ***phone rings**

 **G (over the phone): Oh, about games? Let me tell you this story-**

 **You are not-**

 **G: He straight up downloaded Yu Gi Oh Duel Links about 2 weeks ago, and that practically was took up his attention when he isn't doing school work! Then one day it stops working on him and he had to uninstall it to get it working again. But wait, get this: That game doesn't save your progress unless you make an account with Konami and link it! So guess who now has to start over after he unwittingly spend over 100 on card packs, and now has sworn off the game in shame?**

… **You bastard… and besides, I stopped playing it also because I still remember what Konami did to Kojima…**

 **G: Excuses, excuses. Whatever, is the new chapter up yet?**

 **Yes… so get your ass back here.**

 **G: Excellente, I'll be on my flight back in about an hour. See you then! *hangs up**

 **So… yeah. Also I just added that part about Desmond in for no reason, I completely forgot the whole Assassin's Creed thing.**

 **To Guest 2:**

 **Mothra and Battra will be making an appearance sooner than you'd expect!**

 **G (calls again): Um… I think he's talking about you're other stories…**

 **Oh… OH… Those ones… I really need to get working on those-**

 **G: Don't even think about it, I own your ass now so you work for me and only me, got it?**

… **That makes no sense**

 **Well, I hope I'll get the next chapter up sooner! I'll see you then!**

 **G: Leave a review so this flight doesn't get delayed!**


	41. Monsters of the desert

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Alabasta Arc opening: Know Know Know by Does (Gintama Op. 15)**

" **Inferno Undertaker!"**

Flames, hot enough to turn the sand into glass, was the only thing on Gian's mind as of right now.

For everything he is, Mr. 0.5 was crafty to say the least. His burrowing ability serves not only as a surprise attack with claws and teeth, but also his infernal fire breath that struck from below.

And that is exactly what he's doing as of right now.

" **AHH! That almost burned my tail!"** Gian yelped as he rolled to the side as the ground beneath him erupted in another pillar of flame. He barely stayed put for one second, before another pillar fired up below him and forcing him to dodge that one as well. This continued for another few rounds, before the killer burst out of the ground and lashed out with one of his axes, cutting a streak in Gian's left arm while the latter was a fraction too slow to retaliate with Atom Splitter.

" _ **Dammit… I can't even hit him…**_ **"** Gian thought as he clutched his healing arm. The ground rumbled again as another burst of fire blasted out of where he once stood. " **OK, How does he know where I am?!"**

" **This is not good… I've been on the defensive ever since I've pushed him out here… Maybe I should've just stayed in the city… then again the collateral damage would've been way too high otherwise…"** Gian hissed as he avoided another strike **"Honestly, wherever I run, it's like he sees the very steps I'm taking! He knows exactly where to aim!"**

Gian's eyes widen in realization as he thought of a possible hypothesis for his misfortune " **Movement… he can track movement! The steps I take probably sent vibrations down into the ground! He feels that, and he can pinpoint my location!"** That realization gave him a possible idea to counter him!

" _ **All I got to do now, is lower my breathing rate, not move, and focus on when he appears next… not an easy task, but all that I've got right now!"**_

The eerie silence that follows would've been unnerving for most people, but it was all he could do right now. The only sound being sand shifting in the wind, he was motionless as sweat gathered over his skin.

" _ **Come on… you have to be down there somewhere…"**_

Because of this, when the ground burst open behind him, he wasn't completely caught off guard. A quick parry with Atom Splitter managed to block the Ax aiming for his neck. Gian retaliated by throwing a radiation boosted kick backwards, which Mr. 0.5 had to block with one of his arms. The blow managed to knock him back, tumbling into the sand before getting up.

" **Just as I thought, you can only shoot your heat ray at me if you can sense me move! Underground, I can't reach you. But when I force you to face me up at the surface, that's where the playing field becomes even!"**

" **Is it now? You're much more naïve than I originally thought. Let this sink in: I don't need my Lava Pulse to kill you. With the sand at my beckoning, you still wouldn't even be able to reach me!"** Mr. 0.5 growled, before tunneling down into the ground again. Gian hardly had any time to prepare before the killer leapt out of the sand and struck out with a lightning fast ax sweep.

" _ **Just by simply using the ground as my vantage point, Beast Warrior doesn't stand a chance! Soon he'll be akin to a pig getting butchered!"**_ the killer thought with wicked delight, and indeed, Gian found himself hard to keep up with the burrowing attacks from down below.

" **Desert Tunneling Drill!"** the ground behind Gian tore open as Mr. 0.5 torpedoed out of the ground. Gian hastily raised Atom Splitter in an attempt to block, but the power behind the attack sent him flying. Mr. 0.5's horn even dug into his right shoulder, causing him to lose balance. Gian collided heavily with the ground, losing his grip on Atom Splitter while Mr. 0.5 fired another **Lava Pulse,** this time eliciting a cry of agony as the heat seared his target.

" **This battle is now over. With the Goji Goji no Mi in your possession it truly is a waste…"** Suddenly Mr. 0.5 burrowed underneath the ground again, only to whip up a massive cloud of dust and sand, covering the area. Gian's eyes widened as he realized the intent.

" **I'll have you die without even seeing the blade that kills you! Desert Shred Assault!"**

Just like before, the savage attack from both above and below struck without warning, knocking him asunder as his body is torn to pieces by axe, claws and teeth. This time it didn't have the whittling addition of Crocodile's manmade sandstorm, but the intent is still the same. As an attack that strikes a foe that is blinded by clouds of sand, the **Desert Shred Assault** is the move that Mr. 0.5 uses to take down scores of opposing enemies, in addition to letting their blood soak into the earth.

" **Dammit… I really underestimated him that time… I can't focus now… I can't even see where he is…"**

Gian's breathing was getting heavy; the amount of blood lost is surpassing even the rate he is healing. His vision was getting shaky; he barely registered the rending of his flesh as of right now; the only thing he could hear is the violent cackles of the killer as he relished in his suffering.

" _ **I'm sorry, Vivi… I'm sorry, everyone…"**_ Gian's lingering thoughts were those of regret as he realize he's completely outclassed in terms of skill here " _ **Triton-senpai… it looks like I never got to master this fruit…"**_

As one cut nearly severed the tendons of his left arm, Gian fell forwards. It was due to this that one more saving grace was revealed, however unlikely. As he fell to the ground, a small golden ball rolled out from his shredded clothing. Gian's eyes widened in realization as he realized what it was:

" _ **A Rumble Ball… the ones Chopper made for me!"**_

Using the last of his strength, he reached out and grasped the golden medicine. Chopper stated that the transformations were to fit with the current situation, but there's a chance he might get one that won't help him at all. However, this is the only option he has as of right now.

" **Come on science… if there was ever a time I needed you more it's right now!"** he could hear Mr. 0.5 about to surface for one final blow, and hastily bit down on the golden orb. The bitter taste flooded his senses as something miraculous took place.

" **DIE!"** Mr. 0.5 howled in triumph as he brought an axe down hard towards the base of Gian's neck, intent on beheading him.

Only for it to clash with another bladed object.

* * *

" **W-what is this?!"** That moment of hesitation had given Gian enough time to regenerate enough from his injuries that he is now able focus once again. Lashing out with his tail, he attempted to strike again. Mr. 0.5 raised the other axe in an attempt to block, only to get a shock as Gian's new bladed tail cut the weapon in two, inflicting a moderately sized gash on the killer that sent him spiraling in pain.

" **Chopper, you are a profit to this world …"** Gian marveled at this new form. Unlike his normal Partial Transformation, this Rumble Ball enhancement made him sleeker, and covered in what appears to be plated chiton. His dorsal fins were replaced with gleaming blades, and two wider fin like blades emerged from his arms, two thinner ones on the back of his heels, and one extra one tipped his tail, aptly shaped like the blade of Atom Splitter.

" **How… What trickery is this?!"** Mr. 0.5 yowled in disbelief.

" **This? This is merely something that will turn the tides of this battle! Sometimes, all you got to do is think outside of the box! For you, you will be the first to witness my newly enhanced Blade Point!"** And Gian leapt at him, brandishing one of his arm blades. He glady noted that, in this temporary form, his speed had increased considerably, and with the new set of weaponry, it should even this playing field considerably.

" _ **This speed…"**_ Mr. 0.5 eyes widened in another vain attempt to block with his remaining axe " _ **He never displayed this before?!"**_

Whatever those newly formed blades were made up, it was clearly stronger than the ax blade. Twisting his body around, Gian swung his arms out and diced even the iron ax into pieces. This may have been due to the force he put behind those swings, but in that instant, Mr. 0.5 was weaponless.

" **Now it's my turn to make you run! Atom Discus!"**

By utilizing the razor sharp dorsal blades now implanted into his back, Gian spun like a massive buzzsaw, carving towards the killer in a shower of steel. Mr. 0.5 had no choice but to dive out of the way, but the angle of this attack has caused Gian to lash over the small of his back, creating a noticeable cut.

" **RRRRAAARRRRRGGGH"** a now livid Mr. 0.5 howled in fury as he tunneled down below again, forcing Gian to once again be on the lookout. When the killer emerged to deliver another strike towards the back of his head however, Gian found that he did not have much to worry about compared to before; his blades provided the perfect cover, lest Mr. 0.5 wished to get his claws into his back. By spinning around in another **Atom Discus,** the bladed fins on his back protruded outwards, forming a razor sharp shield. Mr. 0.5 could not even get a claw in, but he thrusted forwards anyway, ignoring the pain of his lacerated claw. Gian however, figured he would pull something like this, and vaulted backwards before bunching himself up, preparing for a jump.

Mr. 0.5 realized the intent behind his prey's next move, as the possessor of the Goji Goji no Mi's arms were now crossed, both arm blades fanned out. Before anything could be done, his eyes widened as he witnessed Gian's blades light up with atomic energy.

" **Chopper mentioned that these things only last 3 minutes, so I better put you down quickly... This is something I made up on the spot. Be diced apart by: Atom X Scissor!"**

A sweep of both arms caused an X shaped cross of atomic energy to burst forwards, slicing the sand beneath it apart, the heat turning it to glass.

" _ **He's able to concentrate atomic energy into his blades and fire them out in an extended attack!"**_ Mr. 0.5 thought as he leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding being cut by the flaming X" _ **But that long wind up makes it hard to hit, I'll just dodge it! That's right, then I'll- SHIT!"**_

" **You thought that projectile was to hit you, didn't you? I figured you'd try to avoid it somehow, all I had to figure out was where!"** Gian grinned as he pounced at the now prone killer, both arm blades stretched out in a gliding form " **Atom Headhunter!"**

And the two blades instantly clanged together, creating a slicing blade that intended to take a few inches extra off of the assassin. And it would've done so too, had Mr 0.5 not burrowed at the last second. On another note, the speed of the attack made it so that the possessor of the Ragon Ragon no Mi still had to bear a shredded back, causing him to become even more enraged.

" **I'll kill you… I'M GOING TO FLAY THE SKIN FROM YOUR BONES!"** Mr. 0.5 howled in fury as he unleashed a blast of his heat ray.

" **That's fine, I'll just deflect it with my own! Atom Ra- WHAT THE HELL?!"**

The reason for that outburst was this: **Blade Point** , as it turned out, powers up Gian's speed and power, but in turn, it cuts the power of his Radiation in half. The once impressive **Atom Ray** is now a mere wisp of blue radiation; not nearly enough to match the power of Mr. 0.5's orange heat ray.

And because of that, Mr 0.5 beam tore through it like a knife through hot butter. The result? Gian getting a singed face as he barely managed to flip out of the way.

And as a predator, Mr. 0.5 naturally picked up that flaw…

" **So that's it huh… You can channel radiation to your blades… but beyond that... you can't use it!"** with that being said, he fired another **Lava Pulse,** which forced Gian to run for it.

" **Running away are you? Have you already forgotten how well that ended up for you last time?"** Gian's eyes widened in horror as Mr. 0.5 drilled into the ground at record speed; he could already feel the heat building beneath him " **Here's a reminder then! Inferno Undertaker!"**

The ground around Gian burst upwards, instantly engulfing the area in smoke and flames.

" **This time! You will truly die beneath the desert, Beast Warrior! DIE!"** Mr. 0.5 howled as his jaws practically unhinged to deliver one last crushing bite as he dove headfirst into the smoke layer.

" **Hey, psycho…"** No! It couldn't! Mr. 0.5 realized too late as his jaws crunched down, but not into soft flesh. Instead, they bit into something hard, very hard. It almost made his teeth shatter.

" _ **What is this?! My teeth can bite through 10 mm of solid steel! How could-"**_

" **Have you ever heard of the phrase, never bite off more than you could chew?"** the smoke cleared as Mr. 0.5 took in his prey's 'new form: while **Blade Point** emphasized on the sleekness of an assassin, this new form was all about reservation, and protection. Gian's new Rumble Ball Form was a stocky one, hunched over. His dorsal fins had shrunk; much of his back is covered by a domelike, plated shell. In fact, the entire ensemble made him resemble an armored beast, decked head to toe in dark, plate like scales. Even his face is almost completely covered in a helmet like design, with only his eyes revealed.

" **I just want to let you know… DON'T EVER PLAY YOURSELF!"** and just like that, Gian's armored fist smashed into the killer's face; Mr. 0.5 felt as if his entire skull would cave in from the flow. While the speed was much more sluggish than before, it made up for it by having a much higher increase in destruction points. And besides, it's not like Gian was going to let the monster leave his range.

The minute his fist connect, Gian then reached out and grabbed Mr. 0.5's horn. This was followed by a devastating uppercut that sent the killer skywards. Leaping up, he brought his fists together in a massive axe formation and slammed it into the killer's midsection, knocking back down heavily, the impact forming a small crater from the blow.

" _ **I can feel the power of the Rumble Ball decreasing now; there's not much time left… then again, this was a last minute decision after all."**_ he could see Mr. 0.5 desperately trying to fire another heat ray. He soon found out that the armor is not only hard, it's also heatproof. Gian narrowed his eyes as the flames washed over his plates harmlessly. Rearing back his tail, he spun around in midair, before bringing it down like a massive sledgehammer.

" **N-No! I won't die here! A predator cannot be taken down by the likes of you!"** Mr. 0.5 was now clawing at the Goji Goji no mi eater in a frenzy, but each strike only grazed the armor without any effect.

" **Predator, Prey, it means nothing here. What matters is that you and the rest of Baroque Works have held this country in peril for far too long! You're reign of blood ends here!"** Wrapping his tail around the killer, Gian hoisted him up and tossed him just high enough for one last attack as his new **Armor Point** dissipated, its timer run out. Both fists were awash with blue atomic energy as he reared them back.

" **Hear the flames of Atoms Roar!"** One punch, hitting Mr. 0.5 in the gut.

" **Crackle with the Passion of Might!** Another punch, this time striking his side.

" **Surge like a thousand Lions!"** Gian roared as he reared both fists back.

" **ATOM! ERUPTION! OVERDRIVE!"**

It was as if hundreds of flaming fists were crushing Mr. 0.5's body all at once. Added in with the atomic energy, the blows both bludgeoned and burned at the same time. Mr. 0.5 was battered many times over, even he couldn't figure out exactly how many hits he endured.

And with one final fist, Mr. 0.5 was hit so hard, that he almost flew back into the walls of the capital city. Instead, his body flew, digging a massive trench as he hit the ground. When he stopped at last, his body was literally steaming.

Gian breathed slightly; steam was coming of his body as well. He had exerted himself a little bit too much there. It was a good thing this battle had come to an end. There was however, one more thing he had to do.

Gian was somber about this; this victory, although well deserved, is not one to be celebrated. No one would ever consider him a hero, not even himself. He's a rogue, a renegade, and a ruffian that, aside from those close to him, is one that is more detached from the rest of the world.

But killing someone, no matter how inhuman they are, is never something to be taken lightly.

Except that it had to be done. Mr. 0.5 is no longer a man. A man that relishes in the flesh of his enemies- his _prey_ \- and bathes in the blood of those he kills is no longer a part of humanity. That part had been rejected the moment he engaged in such chilling habits.

Simply put, if not put down, he will definitely kill again.

And Gian is not exactly willing to leave this to the World Government.

" _ **As the only Kaiju-Zoan user here right now, I'm the one that has to play executioner. Strange, I can't help feeling that, in another place, the two of us would have more to relate to than we'd think. Regardless, I have to end him here…"**_

Gian's dorsal fins began to glow, as he prepared an **Atom Ray** to pierce the killer's skull.

That would be the ideal course of action.

Had Mr. 0.5's eyes not snapped open, glowing as red as the setting sun.

And Gian had no time to react as the ground around him exploded.

* * *

 _Meanwhile:_

Storm clouds were beginning to gather over Alubarna.

"Please! You have to stop fighting! Can't you see you're taking up arms against your own brothers and sisters?" Vivi shouted to no avail atop the palace while the battle between the palace guards and rebels continued. Her voice, whenever it is raised, always seemed to be drowned out by the clang of steel down below. They have managed to find the bomb at last; where else could it be but in the highest tower of Alubarna? But even after defeating the duo of Mr. 7 and Miss Father's Day, rather easily for that matter, they found out that the bomb was due to explode anyway, with nothing that seems able to deactivate it. Right now Pell and Zoro were trying to figure out a way to get the bomb off.

"Stop it!" "Stop it!" "Stop for one second!

"Will you shitheads stop fighting for one second?!" Sanji snapped, but nobody heeded his call. And it wasn't just him either. Usopp, Nami and Chopper have joined up with them, after learning the whole ordeal in more detail. Even with them being in the midst of everything, the rebels do not seem to be stopping at all.

"Dammit… this bomb is ticking down and there's no way for us to stop it…" Zoro cursed. They've been trying for the last little while to find any way for the bomb to deactivate, but found none.

"Then it seems there is no other option." Pell closed his eyes. Zoro's eyes widened slowly as the guard transformed into his falcon form.

"Wait… what are you-?"

"Make sure you get Vivi-sama away from the blast zone. Tell her… that it has been my honor to have served the royal family."

"Hold on-!"

But Pell never got the chance to carry out the rest of his plan, as the shockwaves of an incoming explosion rocked the entire palace. Fearing that the bomb had gone off, he tried to shield Zoro, only to find that the explosive was still ticking down.

A scream from Vivi jolted their attention away as they rushed to the edge of the tower: embedded in the side of the palace was Gian's prone form, the consciousness knocked out of him. He looked as if he flew a long way.

"Gian! What happened?!" Zoro cried out.

The fighting soldiers down below were briefly caught off guard by the rumblings. They soon shook it off, and was about to continue the fighting. That was when they heard the sound.

" **SKRUAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"**

* * *

The bloodcurdling roar was one that was out of this world. This really made both sides falter in their battle. What abomination could emit such a sound?

It was what came afterwards that made the blood drain out of their faces.

"IT'S A MONSTER!"

"IT'S THE RED BEAST!"

"THE RED BEAST IS ATTACKING THE CITY!"

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?!" Usopp almost fainted upon seeing the sight. Beside him,

"He's here… He's here to kill us all…" Vivi's eyes were wide in terror.

Although partially submerged underground, there was no mistaking Mr. 0.5's ghastly Full Transformation. The balaclava still loosely strewn on his face did not mask the doglike head with teeth longer than scimitars. The great horn atop his forehead strummed with energy as he plowed through the city, carving a path through buildings to reach his target.

" **BEAST WARRIOR! I WILL DEVOUR YOU WHOLE! AND ALL YOU OTHER INSIGNIFICANT PREY WILL DIE AFTERWARDS!"**

* * *

A few distances away, King Cobra's eyes widened in sheer terror as he witnessed the monster heading towards the palace. He could do nothing as Crocodile and Miss All-Sunday restrained him.

Lying on the ground beside him, Tashigi, with one of her legs broken, also looked on with horror and uncertainty. She had failed to save the king, and only now did she get a glimpse of Baroque Work's powers.

" _A monster… Just like Gideon… Though unlike him, this one seems to have no holdings on his humanity anymore…"_

"So that abomination decided to transform ahead of time it seems… Did Beast Warrior enrage him that much?" Crocodile remarked dismissively "You're country truly is doomed now…"

Miss All-Sunday said nothing as she led the king towards their destination. Things were going into motion now.

* * *

Further away from them, a rejuvenated Luffy also felt the ground shake, and also witnessed the arrival of this new monster.

Remembering that Gian had gone after the deranged killer, Luffy recalled that this monster is also in possession of a Kaiju-Zoan.

"You can do it, Gian… We can't let them get their way!" he has belief of his first mate, and thus resumed his search for Crocodile.

* * *

"Do you see now?! This is what Crocodile has brought upon this country! I know you are all in pain, I know you have lots of grievances! But for the sake of everyone in this country! YOU MUST STOP FIGHTING!" Vivi's voice rang high with one last plea. Only unity can give them any chance of survival as of right now, they need to stick together if they are to survive this threat.

And one by one, those fighting have realized the implications of her words.

"But what can we do Vivi-sama? What can we hope to do against such a monster?"

"Believe in the people that have appeared in front of us today. They have come to help us. And the one that will defeat that monster needs our support right now!" Vivi cried " _Gian-san… you have to wake up… everyone needs you right now! There's also the bomb about to explode…what are we to do…?_

"Gian! Come on! Snap out of it!" Zoro snapped as he laid the Kaiju-Zoan user on the ground. Chopper was beside him giving him CPR as much as he could. But Gian seemed out of it completely.

"This is bad… Gian's incapacitated right now… and that monster is getting closer by the second!" Sanji cursed.

"Dammit… we have to do something…" Zoro winced, instinctively reaching for his swords. Everyone has been injured in this fight… there was no way they could even amount to anything should they even attempt to intercept Mr. 0.5. Even less capable are the soldiers and rebels, mere humans who have never witnessed such a sight in their lives.

But they had to try.

"For that to happen… we have to risk everything…" Chaka grunted, drawing his sword "As a member of the Alabastan Royal Guard, it is my duty to protect this country, and the family that rules it. I will gladly give my own life to do so." The ones around him gave uncertain glances at each other.

"I will not ask any of you to risk your lives recklessly. However, this could be our final stand in this life. I am not about to see Alabasta laid to waste without having them pry it from my decaying fingers!" he then turned to the Straw Hats that were present.

"That one… I remember him… if he's truly able to stand up to that monster, then do all you can to get him going!"

With that declaration, Chaka once again morphed into his jackal form, intending to buy some time. He was followed by a few soldiers of both factions. After all, they have nothing else to lose now…

"Ah crap…" Sanji cursed, before shaking Gian in an effort to rouse him from his daze. "COME ON YOU SHITTY MONSTER! ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO LET THOSE PEOPLE RUN TO THEIR DEATHS?! EVERYONE'S DEPENDING ON YOU RIGHT NOW!"

And Gian, as of right now, was internally trying everything he could to stand.

 **Flashback:**

" _Owwww…." A younger Gian rubbed his head as he fell on his butt. In front of him, Triton was looking down impassively. To live upon these seas, you need to know how to fight. If you are unable to, well, then you won't last long here._

 _There was to be no Kaiju-Zoan training today. What would be the point if you can't even throw a punch as a regular person? Triton watched as Gian staggered up, ready to charge at him again. He and his young ward have been doing basic battle techniques. There will come a day, when all the things he'll know will relate back to this._

" _Here I come Senpai! Brace youself!" Gian rushed forwards with his fist reared back. Triton just chuckled, before sidestepping out of the way, causing the youth to run past him. Gian didn't even have time to blink when Triton smacked him lightly with the butt of his trident. Of course, lightly in this case means you'd have the wind knocked out of you, and Gian tumbled to the deck once more._

" _Word of advice kid: if you're going to hit me, maybe it isn't such a good idea to announce it to all ears on this ship."_

" _This is so stupid! Why am I fighting in the first place?! I'm trying to get away from all this!" Gian whined as he rubbed his rear._

" _No matter where you are… sometimes fighting is inevitable. In a way it is a way of life." Triton explained._

" _But why do I have to do it?! You guy's said it yourself that East Blue is the weakest of all the seas! What could I possibly need to fight there?"_

 _Triton said nothing for a bit, as he glanced out to the sea. He then closed his eyes for a bit, before opening them again._

" _Do you like to have friends, Gian?"_

 _Gian blinked; where did that come from? "W-well of course! Having friends is a good thing! They spend time bringing each other up and bringing out the best of one another!" Triton smiled at that._

" _And those friends of yours, what would you do if they got into trouble?"_

" _Then I would help them in any way possible! Anyone of good morals should do that! What does all this have to-?"_

" _What if those troubles are not those you can solve without getting physical?"_

 _Only now did Gian realize what his mentor's words meant. How could he have missed it? But… would he really be ready for such a step?_

 _Triton looked to the sea again, this time with a somber expression on his face._

" _What does it mean to fight? For yourself? For a belief that you cling onto? Or will you fight for the honors of others? To protect those close to you?" Gian listened to the whole thing with rapt attention. He now realized why Triton, and everyone on the Red Force, fights. What applies to pirates like them, will one day also involve someone like him._

" _When it's time to act on those impulse, those meanings melt away. When that time comes, it doesn't matter the reason. What matters is that you fight! Regardless, never forget the reasons you are fighting for. It may be the only thing that still matters in the end." Triton finishes._

" _I… see…" Gian mumbled as he lowered his head. Then before Triton even knew what was happening, he suddenly leapt towards the veteran Kaiju-Zoan user. The navigator of the Red Hair Pirates gave a start as he realized his student's right fist was flickering blue energy. He still avoided it fairly easily, but what he saw is good news._

" _If I even want to have a need to fight like that, I have to practice don't I? How was that?"_

" _You little brat! Taking advantage of a somber moment like that!" Triton gave a faux gasp, before grinning "Although, in that moment, you did tap into your ability to harness radiation. Whether or not that was intentional or not, it is good improvement"_

" _Really?"_

" _Indeed! It means your future Kaiju-Zoan powers may come to you easier than I thought. Well, now that that's clear, we can move on to round two!"_

" _Awesome! Wait, round two?!" Gian asked before he was barreled over by a strong gust of wind. Triton had Partially Transformed, grinning like the reptile he is and waving his fanlike tail back and forth._

" _ **What? You didn't expect me to just train you without transforming, did you?"**_

 **Flashback end.**

* * *

" _ **The reasons… I fight…"**_

A light was beginning to shimmer in the void of darkness Gian was trapped in. He could vaguely make out jumbles of words, incomprehensible, yet they seemed urgent.

"…AREN'T YOU GOING TO MASTER YOUR DEVIL FRUIT?! WHAT ABOUT ALL THAT YOU SAID TO US BEFORE?! WHAT-" Sanji was still shouting at the downed warrior, when suddenly Gian just lifted himself from the ground and bolted off.

If they didn't just experience it, it was as if Gian was never there in the first place.

" _ **That's right… there are so many things on the line right now… I can't fall…"**_

"Heh… shitty monster… had us all worried for nothing…" Sanji only chuckled as he looked to the distance, where smoke was billowing as Mr. 0.5 continued to rampage.

"KICK HIS ASS GIAN!" Usopp and Chopper both encouraged.

"Great… he's fine…" Nami sighed with relief.

"…Yeah…" Zoro smiled as well, then looked anxiously towards the clock tower. They may be on a timer here…

* * *

" _ **I have the fate of everyone on the line right now… in addition to my own dreams… I understand now, Triton-senpai… the reasons I have for fighting, is going to carry me through this!"**_

Footsteps alerted those who did not join Chaka in stalling Mr. 0.5, one by one they witnessed the battered warrior running past them, exhausted, but determined to finish this.

Vivi's eyes were in tears of relief as she realized her friend had gotten back up.

* * *

Chaka let out a scream of pain as he collided heavily with the ground as Mr. 0.5's claws slammed a crater a few feet away. Around them the bodies of those brave enough to risk their lives in such a matter laid strewn across everywhere, some badly injured, others already gone. Despite their bravery, a monster such as this, is on another league altogether.

" **YOU FOOLISH PESTS! DID YOU HONESTLY THINK FOR ONE SECOND YOU COULD STAND AGAINST ME?!"** Mr. 0.5 howled as he raised his head, jaws agape as a bright orange glow was seen at the back of his mouth " **YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN PREY! INSIGNIFICANT PREY THAT ARE FIT FOR NOTHING MORE OTHER THAN TO BE CONSUMED BY ME! BURN WITH THE REST OF THE CITY!"**

" **You're wrong! Mr. 0.5!"**

That one voice rang out across the city. Mr. 0.5's wild eye snapped down, to see an opponent whose tenacity was really beginning to piss him off.

" **The role of prey is to be eaten by the predator, they are lower on the food chain"** Gian's body began to glow blue, until the streak of light shot towards the sky. " **But nature has gifted those who act as prey with ways to survive!"** overwhelming energy was beginning to pour out of the pillar of light, and those close to it could see the man rising, changing.

" **IT'S BECAUSE OF THAT, THOSE WHO FIGHT HAVE NO REGRET!"**

* * *

And with a final burst of defiance, Gian's own Full Transformation emerged from the aftermath of the energy burst. Mr. 0.5 was on the receiving end of a massive fist square in the face, sending him flying backwards as a few teeth got knocked loose.

Far below him, the survivors of the onslaught watched with horrified anxiety.

"Chaka-san, what are we to do now?" one of the soldiers asked the wounded guard.

"Gather all that are still able to move, carry those too injured. Get as far as we can, we leave it to him!" the jackal hybrid nodded.

"Vivi-sama! There are now two monsters in the city? What will happen to us!" one of the rebels asked fearfully. But Vivi only smiled.

"There's nothing to fear, Gian-san won't let any harm befall the city!"

Only after she said that did Gian's thundering footsteps march closer to the palace.

" **Vivi, where is the bomb?"**

"Mr. Bushido and Pell found it in the palace tower! We have no way of deactivating it." Vivi remembered.

" **Maybe we don't need to deactivate it."** Before Vivi could ask what he meant, Gian grasped the tallest tower of the palace with his tail, and snapped it clean off!

" **Sorry for the vandalism, it looks like I wasn't able to keep him out of the city."**

Swinging his tail around, Gian launched the tower into the air, sending it towards the stratosphere. It was with good timing too, for mere seconds after the throw, the bomb finally exploded. Even from a far distance, the force of the blow could be felt by all underneath it.

It goes to show you what could've happened if they were a few seconds too late.

" **Don't worry, I'll kick him out of here again. I might have to knock over some buildings though."** Gian got into a battle stance.

"Do what you have to! We'll move the fighters to a different part of the city!" Vivi replied. The Straw Hats on the ground nodded, allowing Gian to carry on the rest of his plan.

* * *

Further away, Miss All-Sunday watched the scene unfold with a faint smile on her face. History was beginning to piece together, starting with this. Whatever happens now is up in the air. Crocodile had already descended underground to where Pluton supposedly was, but even he felt a change in atmosphere.

* * *

"Good Job, Gian! Now let him have it!" Luffy grinned as he saw the visage of his first mate.

* * *

Back with the Fully Transformed beast, Gian didn't have too long to relax as Mr. 0.5 charged towards him, roaring with rage with his horn extended, intending to impale his foe.

" _ **This is what I'm fighting for… for all the people who've put their faith in me…"**_

As fate put it, Gian merely sidestepped the charging monster, before throwing both arms around his short tail, lifting him up with herculean effort. Before slamming him down hard, causing an earth shattering crack that sent some buildings tumbling.

Mr. 0.5 barely had a chance to breath before Gian spun him around by the tail, until one final swing tossed him yowling over the walls of the capital city. He landed in the sand dunes with another deafening crash, as dust and sand obscured the landing area.

 _ **Don't worry Vivi… I won't let anyone else die today."**_

With that though in mind, Gian charged out of the city himself. It was time for one last push.

 **A/N: Ok, The reason you're all here is finally posted. Yes, I originally meant for this chapter to be way longer, only to add in a lot of the extra things you see in here. So, in the end, the battle against Mr. 0.5 will be split and concluded, along with the final fight of Alabasta, in the next chapter, another reason being I'm not quite done with Mr. 0.5's part in the story just yet. One my finals are done next Tuesday, I'll get started on that!**

 **With that being said, I want to give thanks to a few people. Omegadramon2, SonWukong66 and pokemonking0924, if you're reading this know that your Rumble Ball ideas have been used! This marks the beginning of Rumble Balls in Gian's arsenal, although like you could imagine, I already got some Transformations in mind!**

 **With that, look forward to the next chapter!**

 **Responses to Reviews:**

 **To Artoria Pendragon:**

 **Yup, Full Transformation up the A, though for that part you'd have to wait until next chapter!**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **This is probably the longest fight I've written up to now.**

 **To tamagat:**

 **I indeed have seen what Shin Godzilla is capable of. And I will say this: that will be a point in the story, but perhaps not something people would be comfortable with.**

 **To Chance Green G. King:**

 **I hope you enjoy it! That being said, I will have to check The Outcast as well. I'll be honest, I really can't get into Fairy Tail no matter how hard I try. Though I'll give it a shot.**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **I'm glad shortening the other fights worked out.**

 **To omegadramon2:**

 **Gigan is a Kaiju-Zoan, and he'll be appearing in a rather important arc.**

 **As for Mr. 0.5 look further up in the reviews, someone had already solved the mystery!**

 **To Vergil Leonidas:**

 **Yeah, I've been holding this out for too long, and now you have to wait until the next chapter to see how it ends… But it's for a good cause!**

 **To Matt:**

 **Yes, once more Kaiju-Zoan and other OCs have been established, I'll either put up bios on my profile, or write a separate piece just for the lore in this story.**

 **With that, I'll see you all next time!**

 **Just leave a review if you can, Gian's** **trying to exterminate my other stories so I only focus on him** **outside enjoying life, so he's unable to do anything this time.**


	42. Titans

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Alabasta Arc opening: Know Know Know by Does (Gintama Op. 15)**

The clouds have gathered all across the sky, smoothed over in a blanket of grey. The rumbling of thunder can be heard in the distance.

This, is something that has not happened in Alabasta for a long time.

" **Alright, you psychopath… where did you disappear off to this time?"** Gian growled as his tail swished across the ground, sending clouds of sand up with each swing. He was able to keep the damage within Alubarna to a minimum, a good thing considering after this, the country will have a lot of rebuilding to do, especially after a decade long drought like the one they've experienced.

Mr. 0.5 had disappeared, burrowed under the ground once more. He knows this, due to the massive hole in the ground where he supposedly landed. Ironically, that was something Gian had tried to keep from happening in the first place. But anything was better than having the monsters loose within the city he suppose.

" _ **Our increased size also means that he could be potentially easier to hear coming, though this is troublesome nonetheless."**_

His musings proved true, as the ground rumbled, before cracking open as Mr. 0.5 leapt straight towards him. Larger body size be damned, the sheer speed and power of the sudden assault was still enough to send Gian stagger backwards. The fact that his teeth were now locked firmly around his right arm were an added problem.

Despite his smaller frame, Mr. 0.5 ironclad teeth were fastened harder than glue as they embedded themselves into Gian's forearm. The killer even resorted to shaking his head back and forth like a Rottweiler, determined to rip a piece of flesh off like he did before.

Gian hissed in pain, swinging his body around as he tried to dislodge the tenacious beast. This involved slamming Mr. 0.5 repeatedly against the ground, dragging him along. It was only after swinging the appendage with enough strength, did he finally managed to throw his foe back onto the sand.

" **Is it just me, or did that bring back a twisted sense of déjà vu?"** Gian grumbled as his arm healed. On the opposite side of him, Mr. 0.5's response was to simply snarl as his horn flashed with energy before firing off a large **Lava Pulse.** Another clash of beams occurred, before the unstable masses of energy blew up in their faces, shrouding the area in smoke once more.

" _ **Great… we're back to where we started... gotta play the whole waiting game again…"**_ Gian cursed internally as he realized once the smoke cleared that Mr. 0.5 had burrowed underground once more.

But lying in wait is no longer an option.

* * *

Deep underground, as Mr. 0.5 tunneled about. His eyes were perpetually tilted upwards. To a normal person, this subterranean environment would be pitch black. To the killer however, the earth above him was detailed into an intricate map.

His horn provided leverage by feeling the vibrations above ground. From the small pitter patter of a desert scorpion, to the massive stomps of his hated foe. Every movement up above would send waves of movement through the sand, all concentrated to the tip of his horn. This is how he can pick up any movement he chooses to.

But that wasn't all he had.

Kaiju-Zoan users have a hidden gift. It may not be apparent to other humans, but those who have eaten those cursed fruits have acquired… other talents.

And Mr. 0.5 was seeing it fully right now, as Gian's massive frame was highlighted, in his vision, as a flickering flame of bright blue light.

His Aura is strong; it foretells a feeling of dominance, pride and regality. Mr. 0.5 can see it all, and there's no doubt about it.

'Beast Warrior' Gian does not deserve to possess such a powerful Kaiju-Zoan.

" _ **Kihehehehe… Beast Warrior… this is where the true differences of our abilities lie! I was originally worried when I first believed you to have already unlocked the ability to sense the Kaiju Aura… but I suppose that was just a fit of the moment thing! Were you actually able to unlock your Aura Sense, you could've located me even under all this sand. The Full Transformations of the Goji-Goji no Mi's has much greater physical strength than my own, in a frontal fight even I perhaps could not emerge unscathed. But with my burrowing ability, along with your own arrogance, victory is all but certain for me!"**_

And Gian had no idea of all this, as Mr. 0.5 cackled as he tunneled towards him, intent on chomping down at his flesh once more. The rookie Kaiju-Zoan user doesn't even realize until it is too late, as the ground behind him cracked open and Mr. 0.5 leapt from down below, latching onto the other Kaiju's back to deliver a bone crunching bite to the back of his head.

" **RRGGGHH… ATOM INCINERATOR**!" Gian roared in pain as his dorsal fins were super charged into heated blades. This managed to stab into Mr. 0.5's stomach, causing him to screech in agony and dislodge himself.

" **Keeping kicking… I like it when my meat squirm…"**

" **Atom Megaton Lariat!"** Gian's only response was to charge forward, both arms ablaze and outstretched. Before he could slam either one of them into the killer, Mr. 0.5 tunneled under the ground again.

" **Desert Torpedo Drill!"** Gian narrowly avoided getting part of his side gashed open by Mr. 0.5 firing out of the ground once more, his entire body alight with an orange aura.

" **Too slow, too slow! With my ability to burrow, you cannot hope to keep up with me!"** Mr. 0.5 taunted as Gian reeled back.

" **Dig all you want… I'm going to burn you into the sand!"**

* * *

" **Even with such an obvious disadvantage you're still clinging on as if you have any hope… it'd be inspiring if it weren't so foolish!"** Mr. 0.5 growled " **I don't even see any reason for you to get involved in the first place! What do you even hope to accomplish from this? That you'd be hailed as a savior of this country? Pathetic!"**

" **You are nothing more than a pirate, that fact alone will put people against you! But unlike most pirates, you carry a much more hideous curse!"** Gian gritted his teeth as Mr. 0.5 charged him again, slamming his claws into his raised arms in rapid jabs, until one broke through his defenses and sent him reeling.

" **You've eaten the mortal flesh of a creature known only to myth, a Kaiju-Zoan. In their eyes, you're no different than the monster whose form you took on! You know that fact well, don't you? You've seen the looks on many human faces! They may outwardly cheer you on, but inside you can see their fear! To them, you aren't 'Beast Warrior' Gian; you are nothing more than the abominable spirit of the Goji Goji no Mi!"** The wide jaws of the beast opened once more, shooting the same orange heat ray that Gian had to duck under; too slow to retaliate this time.

" **In this case, I would say the two of us have a lot to sympathize with in each other. We both possess this cursed fruit that make us take on the form of monsters we didn't want to be. Unlike you however, I fully embrace my identity! No more am I shackled by the confines of a human conscience; I live only to prey on those who are below me!"**

" **Then you are nothing more than beast! An abomination that has lacks the self-control it takes to truly control one of these fruits!"** Gian retaliated, charging up a leg with atomic energy and slamming the heavy appendage into Mr. 0.5's midsection with a loud BOOM, causing the cannibal to cough out a pint of blood, glaring with unbridled fury.

" **Beast?! Quite likely! It is because I am a beast that I am able to survive in this world! You surround yourself with pretense that you have nakama that care about you, you think they'd stand by you no matter what. But what's stopping them from one day stabbing you in the back, their fear overtaking their logic?! What makes you think for even one moment, your so called friends can trust that dark power of yours?! You may wish to think otherwise, but from the very moment you've acquired the Kaiju-Zoan, you are already a monster to every other person in this world!"**

" **That's where you're wrong!"** Gian roared as his dorsal fins lit ablaze and he fired an **Atom Ray** , only for the Baroque Works agent to leap over the beam and land behind him.

" **It's true, I have seen the look of fear in people that I wish wouldn't have to see it. I can never forget the horrified look of my adopted family when they first laid eyes upon me in the midst of a Transformation… And I can be certain that my nakama have felt the slightest worry about this state, which I can have no doubt over…"** Gian's tail suddenly swung up, wrapping itself around MR. 0.5's waist. His eyes hardened as the grip tightened " **But I can also be certain that I will never have to worry about them acting on their fears. Because despite it all, despite I've continuously used my Transformation, they've put their beliefs into me, and I will continue to carry them to their dreams and a ruthless killer like you is not going to keep me from that!"** Spinning around on his feet, the yowling cannibal was sent spiraling off into another sand dune. An **Atom Ray** quickly pounded itself into the area, dealing an extra blow.

" **And one more thing that is different, I am never going to let the monster decide who I am going to be. Never forget that."** Gian growled as smoke billowed out of his mouth.

That was when the dust cloud was swept up, blanketing the entire area in a cover of sand. The only thing that can be heard was the whipping of the wind, and out of the silence comes the chilling voice of a hunter that's out for blood.

" **Foolish, foolish 'Beast Warrior'… if you believe so much in your so called friends, then you can join them in the desert graveyard once I'm done with you! Desert…EVISCERATION!"**

* * *

And Gian was immediately bombarded by an unending wave of lacerations, curtesy of Mr. 0.5's razor sharp claws and fangs. Similar to the **Desert Shred Assault,** this move involves the blinding of his foe first through means of sand or dust, then attacking with ferocious might.

With one very noticeable difference: Mr. 0.5 is Fully Transformed now.

In addition to being cut up, Gian felt like he was getting slammed into by a gigantic cleaver, bits of his body was literally getting sheared up, while his blood continuously drained into the sand. He was roaring in pain frustration, but his futile attempts to strike back were somehow always avoided.

" _ **This is really bad now… It's just like before… only there's no Rumble Ball to save me now! Even with the increase in endurance this form grants me, I…I don't know how much more I can take!"**_ Gian thought painfully.

" _ **HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO STRIKE BACK?!"**_

It's said that, in one's most desperate hour, can a person pull out the the strangest ways to save themselves.

And for a monster like Gian, it would be something that would prove much more useful later down the road.

Mr. 0.5 howled in glee, leaping from the ground with fire enveloping his teeth as he tore a row of flesh away from Gian's side, and easily dodging Gian's sweeping claws as he burrowed back beneath the ground, much to Gian's exasperation. It seems that, with the blinding dust cloud along with the mind numbing pain, tracking this killer would prove difficult.

Only this time, it was not so.

For the briefest of seconds, when Mr. 0.5 returned to the ground, it was as if he left traces of himself within the sand…

And Gian was able to see that.

" _ **Wait a minute… that last time… it was like there was a trail leading a few ways into the earth…"**_

And moments later, that same visual trail appeared again, only brighter this time. It was a faint orange glow, dim but visible beneath the sand.

And that glow was now moving rapidly towards him. Gian barely registered it within his mind before Mr. 0.5's body emerged once again in another bite attempt. Hastily, Gian had to tumble to the side. He was a fraction too slow, as Mr. 0.5 managed to nick off a strip of skin from his thigh, but it wasn't too deep, and it healed quickly.

And when the killer tunneled again, the orange glow remained, albeit growing dimmer as Mr. 0.5 proceeded to tunnel deeper to prepare for another attack.

" _ **What in the world is that…?"**_ Gian was confused. The light, although no longer as bright, was still very visible as it moved about in a pattern. He was never really the best at logical thinking, but he couldn't help to think there was a correlation between the two…

" _ **Moments before the psycho attacked me back then, the ball of light seems to have grown larger as it came out of the ground… Wait… didn't I hear something about this once?"**_

Vaguely, he was able to retrace back words he had heard before. Yes, he remembered it now. Back during his conversation with Ace, the fire user had mentioned the concept of Aura. That form of energy that is unique to a Kaiju-Zoan that can be felt by others. Wait, didn't Mr. 0.5 also let it slip that one could sense the Aura of other Kaiju-Zoan users.

Could this be why he was able to trace Mr. 0.5's movements now?

It was then, that he really felt it. It had always been in the air, but only now was it brought back to his attention…

The feeling of savagery, bestial carnage, the need to consume.

And Gian remembered where he last felt it: back during his first encounter with the mass murderer.

Is this what Aura was?

" _ **No time to think about that, he's coming back up!"**_ in desperation, Gian watched as the orange glow grew brighter again as it raced towards him; Mr. 0.5 was surfacing for another attack. The swirling sand still blocked his sight, and as his right fist ignited into blue flames, he prayed that his hypothesis would prove correct.

Thus, as MR. 0.5 leapt out of the earth, claws outstretched to deliver another slash, he never expected to be smashed headfirst by a flaming fist. His roar of shock and pain was drowned out by the thunderous impact, and impact so powerful it cleared the artificial sandstorm away completely.

" _ **WHAT?! IMPOSSIBLE?! HOW DID HE MANAGE TO HIT ME?!"**_ were the killer's flabbergasted thoughts as he sailed through the sand before landing in a pile several yards out " _ **His blow connected, even though I actively tried to impair his vision… that wretch! He got in a lucky hit! No matter, I'll just whip up another sandstorm and-"**_ a sudden thought made his eyes widen in panic.

" _ **Wait, that last punch he threw… it was aimed too directly at my head! With the sand obscuring his vision there's no way he could've known where to punch! But that fist was completely confident in where it meant to land… NO! It can't be! There's no way he could've sensed Aura in a split second!"**_

" **Beast Warrior… How did you sense me…? You were able to sense Aura back there, Isn't that right?"** Mr. 0.5 growled as he groggily got up. Sand streamed off his red hide as his eyes glowed dangerously. In front of him, Gian's amber colored eyes betrayed nothing, only holding a glare of contempt as his tail swung back and forth.

" **I ASKED IF YOU WERE ABLE TO SENSE AURA BACK THERE, DID YOU NOT?!"** The killer roared in fury.

" **Is that what it is? Well, that would explain a lot."** Gian snorted as he got into another fighting position " **All I knew was that I was tired of getting torn to shreds, and simply wanted to return the favor. It seems like that paid off rather well."**

With an angry roar, Mr. 0.5 tunneled straight for Gian, wanting nothing more than to impale him at the end of his horn. This time, the extent of Mr. 0.5's malicious Aura was on full blast, and Gian could see it perfectly.

" _ **If this really comes naturally, it couldn't have come at a better time! Now I have nothing to be afraid of!"**_ taking aim at the rapidly approaching orange ball of light, Gian's dorsal fins lit up for a split second, before unleashing another azure beam of light from his maw, directly in the path of the tunneling monster. The ground was completely ripped open as MR. 0.5 howled in frustration as he was blown out of the sand.

" _ **Shit… that all but confirms it; he really is able to sense Aura now! I don't know whether he was just lucky or had it hidden this whole time, but my one advantage is gone! Whenever I get close, he just forces me away!"**_ he then proceeded to tunnel again, only to narrowly be missed by another **Atom Ray.**

" _ **In a straight up fight, the beast within the Ragon Ragon no Mi is overpowered by the beast within the Goji Goji no Mi… Even though he's still inexperienced, he's already in tune with that immense strength! Burrowing is the only method I have left, and now he can see my Aura as well! Damn you Beast Warrior! When this is over, I won't even kill you; I'll rip the flesh from your body while you're still conscious!"**_

Mr. 0.5 began tunneling in increasingly erratic patterns now, each one followed by an **Atom Ray**. Occasionally he would peek his head out to try and blind his foe with his own heat ray, but his aim was never steady due to his opponent knowing exactly where he'd pop up. This hit and run tactic is not fitting for a killer like him; he much prefers it when his prey's eyes widen with fear as they see death approaching. But this is the only option he has right now, and one that is very ineffective, as whatever blow does connect, Gian would simply heal it.

And Gian was getting tired of waiting; he's been on the receiving end for far too long, time to dish it all back!

" _ **Playing Whack-a-mole with me now, aren't you? You underestimated me way too much now!"**_ swinging his head in a wide arc, Gian unleashed a torrent of atomic energy from his jaws, cutting Mr. 0.5 off completely. As he sensed his aura frantically tunneling in a new direction, he steadied his breath again and aimed. This time, it would hit.

Because Mr. 0.5 only had one way to go.

As the beam lanced into the ground, it managed to smash the killer right in the left side as he tired one last attempt to escaped being cornered. Mr. 0.5's howl could've be heard all across Alabasta; the **Atom Ray** had incinerated a large portion of his abdomen. He was sent flying out of the sand in a violent explosion, landing ungracefully in the sand as blood dribbled out of his mouth…

" **NO! He got me with that one! This wound… This wound is too grievous!"** The monster tried to scramble away, for the first time in his life, Mr. 0.5 felt vulnerable. His wound was heavy, and it impaired his movement. He could sense Beast Warrior approaching as he charges up another beam of destruction.

He looked his potential killer in his eyes.

And grinned savagely.

* * *

" **Kihehehehe… KIHEHEHEHE! YOU FELL FOR MY TRAP, BEAST WARRIOR!"**

And that's when the ground collapsed completely underneath Gian, the monster letting out a startled yelp as he tumbled into the pitfall. Only now did he realize: Mr. 0.5 wasn't trying to avoid him by moving the way he did; he was loosening up the ground!

And all the Atomic energy he expunged only further impacted this.

With the turn of the table, Gian was on his back, arms and legs waving rapidly as Mr. 0.5 recovered just enough to laugh maniacally.

" **YOU REALLY ARE NAÏVE COMPARED TO ME! YOU'VE UNLOCKED AURA, ALL FOR NOTHING! IT JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU, PREY WILL ALWAYS BE HUNTED BY THE PREDATOR!"**

And just like that, Mr. 0.5 bunched himself up and leapt directly onto the larger monster's chest. He could see the telltale signs of a desperate **Atom Ray** , but this time, Beast Warrior would never get the chance.

With a gurgle, Gian felt the teeth of Mr. 0.5 sink directly into his throat, the pressure increasing by the second. His **Atom Ray** was still building up, unable to be released yet with nowhere else to go.

Air was beginning to become harder to breathe as Mr. 0.5's jaws caught his windpipe in a vice like grip. Gian's struggling was growing steadily weaker.

" _ **I've won!"**_ Mr. 0.5 grinned sadistically, preparing to rip his throat out.

Until he caught Gian giving off a weak grin.

" _ **He's smiling?! What could-"**_

" **Our current situation… really does prove what I've said earlier…"** Gian wheezed, and it was only now that Mr. 0.5 noticed in horror that Gian's entire body was glowing blue. Understanding what was about to happen, he scrambled to loosen his jaws, but Gian had wrapped both his arms around him.

" **Prey… always has been able to adapt in order to survive against the predator! This is why… they're aren't afraid to fight! ATOM PULSE!"**

Up close, and in a Full Transformation, all the atomic build up from earlier had to go somewhere, and where else but through the pores of his skin?

In a fiery explosion, the entire pitfall caved in even further, the impact launched tonnes of debris into the air. Mr. 0.5 naturally bore the brunt of the explosion; it was as if his skin was literally disintegrating as he was blown away as the ground collapsed around them.

Whatever scream of rage and pain he emitted could even be heard over the falling sand.

* * *

The hole was still billowing smoke as the battle ended. Within the debris, two shapes finally beginning to stir.

This battle took a massive toll on both of them, so much so that either Kaiju-Zoan user had reverted back to their human forms, having too little energy to maintain their monstrous appearance.

Gian was stumbling with every second step, his vision greatly disorientated. Normally a Full Transformation would result in completely immobilization after it ended due to the sheer amount of energy expended to maintain it, yet even with that he forced himself to his feet. This fight would not be over one of them leaves the living world, they both knew that. As such, even as his whole body literally screamed at him to drop, he still gathered the remaining amount of atomic energy into his right fist to deliver one last blow.

A few ways beside him, Mr. 0.5 was in a much more devastated state. That last **Atom Pulse** had incinerated even some of his hide; the leather armor he once wore was completely disintegrated. Sprawled on the ground and hacking up blood. The skin on his chest and abdomen was peeling back, some red muscle was even showing.

As Gian got closer, he finally noticed the macabre environment he was truly in. This hole didn't just tunnel them a few dozen miles into the bedrock, it revealed a room. Despite the debris, the room appeared to be rather well kept. This was redundant, as the other details of within the chamber revealed what hellish environment it was meant to be. A massive row of what was meant to be a drying rack had some blacked objects on it, and upon closer inspection, Gian's eyes widened in horror.

They were bodies, some still fresh, others had begun to decay. Other traces of human remains were separated into surprisingly neat bins: bones, skulls, removed body parts and organs… What remained had been destroyed by the cave in.

And only then, did Gian realized that this is Mr. 0.5's makeshift slaughterhouse. Despite his nature, the killer seemed to keep the place rather organized. Gritting his teeth, the atomic energy in his fist grew brighter. There was no questioning it now, he had to end this abomination once and for all.

Then the killer glared back, and even Gian flinched at what he saw. The heat from his last attack had even tore off Mr. 0.5's balaclava, revealing his face for the first time.

It was unsightly; unlike a normal person's head, Mr. 0.5's head appears to be elongated slightly, with the top of the skull slightly tapered like an eggplant's. his ears were on different parts of his head, one closer to his eyes and the remaining one was located closer to the back of his head than anything else. His eyes were narrow, with a red tint but wild with unbridled hunger. The sharp teeth, filed to points, were neat and in place despite his profession. His head had no hair, though whether it was originally like so or were they burned off earlier is unknown to Gian.

"Damn you Beast Warrior… destroying my one place of peace… **"** the killer managed to gurgle out; his tongue had been partially melted by the **Atom Pulse** and speech was a bit hard to interpet.

"What the hell is this place?! **"** Gian shouted.

"This…? Nothing more than my humble storage… my cookhouse… AND YOU'VE RUINED IT!" the killer screeched "I was going to add you as a centerpiece to my dining table! AND I STILL WILL! THESE INJURIES WILL NOT PREVENT ME FROM RIPPING YOUR GUTS OUT **!"** Mr. 0.5 was absolutely rabid by this point, frothing at the mouth and charged forward, jaws agape. The toll from his Full Transformation is almost debilitating at this point; only sheer hatred fueled his charge.

But in a battle between exhaustion, the one with the stronger will is the one to succeed.

And Gian was done being pushed back as he slammed his knee into the killer; even something as simple as that made his pain receptors flare up, and he nearly fell to his knees.

Mr. 0.5 flew back, coughing up another pint of blood. Movement was too difficult right now. A dim glow caught his eye as he witnessed Gian limping forwards, flaming fist still ignited. But now, Mr. 0.5 was too weak to move, and with mounting dread knew what the result could be.

" _No…! NO…! I CAN'T DIE HERE! I'M A PREDATOR, ONE THAT FEASTS ON THE FLESH OF MY PREY! I'M SUPPOSED TO SATE MY HUNGER AS THE ULTIMATE SURVIVOR!"_

* * *

 **Flashback:**

 _38 years ago, the boy that would eventually become the masked killer that is Mr. 0.5 had not started out that way, but his circumstance had been an unpleasant one. Born with a defect that caused his head to become misshapen, he was an outcast, viewed by all who saw him as a monster, a strange being. All, except for 2 people._

" _Mother… why was I made this way… why do those people see me like this?!"_

 _Kneeling in front of the boy was an auburn colored haired woman, dressed in nothing but stitched rags, almost skin and bones, gingerly comforted the child._

" _My dear Betrugus… the words of people are packed with venom due to them being unable to see past their prejudices… it has nothing to do with you. Pay them no mind, for you are our gift, our most prized possession. And we are blessed that you were born to us."_

" _No! My existence has brought you two nothing but suffering! They see you has the herald of a demon spawn! I know that, I hear the locals talking about it all the time!"_

" _That may be so, but we will never trade you for anything!" a male voice entered. He was dressed similar to the woman, and also looked to be in poor conditions. One leg was lame, broken by an incident from ages past and now forced to use a makeshift crutch._

" _Father…?"_

" _You are our son Betrugus that much will never change. And although others see us as pariahs, we want nothing more than to make sure that you live." The man whispered hoarsely._

" _Promise us, son, that you will always be strong, you will always survive! No matter what pain comes your way!"_

 _Betrugus could not hold back the tears as he embraced his parents. The small, fetid mud hut may be their only shelter, but at that moment it was the warmest place there is._

 _This family is not a fortunate one. Being simple farmers by trade, their lives were already dependent on their harvest in this small village in South Blue. The birth of their child, with his hideous features, prompted the local chief to suggest the family be rid of him._

 _It was only when they refused did everything go south._

 _The village was already fearful of the unknown, and having a child like that terrified the locals. Now, with the parents of the child refusing to disown him, they began to distrust the family as well. Seen as two devils giving birth to hell spawn, they were ostracized, driven out of their homes and forced to relocate on the outskirts, near the jungles of the island. Their old farmland was destroyed, and many a times did the family enter town to buy necessities were they treated with disdain and fear. The more irrational members have even openly tormented them, either pelting them with rocks when they spot them, vandalizing their house, or even physically assaulting them. Driven to poverty, every day is a fight for survival, but they had love between each other, and that was sometimes all it needs._

 _And sometimes this love is what creates monsters driven to the breaking point. 12 years after his birth, life had suddenly changed for the boy…_

 _Betrugus' stomach growled as he went about the jungle, hoping to find some fresh fruit. Food had run out again, thus foraging will have to do for now._

 _Well, the day's work hasn't turned out good. There doesn't seem to be much food around, save for one interesting fruit he found. Said fruit is a big one however, easily the size of a honey melon. The strange patterns on the fruit is unlike any he has seen before either; a reddish brown skin with streaks of yellow running down the side._

 _It certainly does look appetizing._

 _Stumbling back to his home, he can't wait to see his parent's faces when they spot the large fruit. But he was so hungry, he hadn't eaten anything the entire day._

" _Maybe I should just have a small bite… there's still enough for all of us!" he said to himself before peeling a bit of the fruit and taking a bite, only to receive a nasty surprise._

" _BLEAH! This tastes awful!" the fruit was rancid, the horrid taste flooding his mouth as he struggled to spit out whatever he hadn't swallowed. Disappointment set in afterward; the only food he found was potentially rotten, and now it was getting late._

" _Well, I guess we'll have to make do with this, I'll have to look for more tomorrow."_

 _Racing back home, he was ready to explain his findings. What he found, however, was an unfathomable sight._

 _The door to their small hut was shattered off the hinges, upon closer inspection there were 3 pairs of footprints around the house._

 _Fear crept into Betrugus' mind as he ran towards the hut at new speeds._

" _Mother… Father… what is going on?!"_

 _And it was only when he entered did hell become revealed._

 _His father, lying on the ground. A bloody gash at his windpipe._

 _His mother, a double bladed axe buried in her back, and another one embedded in her thigh, sprawled faced down._

 _And within the ransacked house was 3 unknown men, all burly and menacing looking. Their leader, Betrugus assumed he was due to him looking different, had his face shrouded by a balaclava._

" _Are you kidding me? This poor sack of shit has pretty much nothing in his house!" the leader complained "I knew we should've mugged one of the townspeople! At least we'll get something in return!"_

" _Hey, it's safer this way! Apparently this family isn't particularly liked by the townfolk! Nobody will miss em!" one of the underlings huffed._

" _Still, for the newly formed Barley Pirates' first raid, this is honestly disappointing!" the remaining one shrugged "We should've waited until we got more crewmates… then we can actually raid a village instead of killing a hobo and his wife like a common mugger!"_

 _It was at this point Betrugus' let out a scream of anguish, alerting the 3 pirates. He dashed over to his mother, shaking her frantically as if she was still living._

" _Oi, there's a kid here…"_

" _That is one ugly looking brat…"_

" _Must be their son, could've fooled me from the way he looked, thought he was an alien for a while!" a malicious smile suddenly crept up the supposed captain's face._

" _With how off-putting he is, he'd probably fetch a high price on the slave market! Yeah! Let's steal the kid!"_

 _With that, hands ripped Betrugus from his mother's body, the boy screaming and kicking as he thrashed about. One stray leg smashed into one of the pirate's eyes, causing him to bellow in rage and throw him to the ground._

" _You little brat! Stop moving around so much!"_

 _"WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY MOTHER AND FATHER?!" Betrugus shouted with grief. He once again ran at the pirates, screaming his anguish out only to be backhanded by one of the underlings._

" _You can see it can't you? they're on the ground right there! Now quit being a pain or you'll end up like them!" Betrugus screamed as he flailed his arms again, not even thinking straight at this point._

" _Little punk… we're teaching you some etiquette!" the captain roared before kicking the downed boy. He was then beaten by the remaining two as well._

 _Crying in pain, one of his eyes glanced to his downed mother, and saw that, despite her injuries she was still breathing. It would not be long before she passes, but during that time, one word slipped out from between her lips before her spirit left her at last._

"… _Survive…" the woman hoarsely whispered._

 _Angry tears pricked his eyes as he glared up at his attackers. He couldn't explain it, but within his being it was as if there was something gathering, trying to break free._

 _One of the underlings threw another punch, feeling his fist impact against the boy. It was when he tried to pull his arm back when he realized it wasn't returning to him._

" _You brat! Let go of my arm!" the underling shouted, but Betrugus was glaring hard at him. The pirate flinched slightly as he could've sworn that the boy's nails were growing and digging into his arm, and… were the brat's eyes glowing red?!_

" _You little-" just as he was about to kick the boy, a sharp pain spread through his arm; this exploded into unimaginable agony as the man screamed as he clutched his bloody stump: Betrugus had ripped the man's arm clean off._

" _M-my arm…! MY ARM! WHAT DID YOU DO TO- GURK!" the man never finished, because Betrugus had pounced on him with unimaginable speed, before ripping his throat open with his right hand, the nails now lengthened to claws._

" _WHAT THE HELL?! WHY DOES THIS FAMILY HAVE A DEMON CHILD?!" the second underling yelped as he drew a sabre. But he never got the opportunity to cut him down, as his abdomen exploded in a spray of blood as Betrugus sliced him from chest to belly. If was as if the boy was possessed, his movements were unnatural, and his eyes were showing nothing but bloodlust. No sounds were emitted from him, save for the grunt and yells when he threw those fatal attacks._

 _By now the pirate captain had realized something was up, that if he didn't get out of here he would perish here. Even as his 2 crewmates were cut down, he had already bolted screaming from the hut. But he would not escape tonight._

 _Not even running 2 steps did the cowardly man felt something cut below his knee, and he fell forward with a pained yell. He looked back in terror to see one of his axes embedded in his leg. Even more horrifying is the primal boy that stalked out of the hut, almost unnatural._

 _Then, the true horrors revealed themselves as the child began to change right before his eyes. Muscles bulged from his emaciated arms, his form gradually became hunched over. The boy's teeth lengthened and sharpened, and a bony horn pushed out of his forehead._

" _N-NO! PLEASE…! STAY AWAY!"_

" _Hey… Pirate-san…" the boy's voice was deeper, more chilling "I haven't had anything to eat all day… I'm so hungry…"_

" _P-PLEASE! STOP…!"_

" _Do you mind... if I just… have one_ _ **little taste…?"**_

 _The only thing the pirate could do was scream as Betrugus' jaws practically unhinged and he lowered his mouth to his flesh._

 _But the tragedy didn't end there. Betrugus had eaten something that brought him terrifying power, and true extent has surfaced and have no wish to be buried again. That day, something awoken within the boy, and immediately after devouring the pirate captain, the boy howled his grief towards the moon, before that howl grew to the crescendo of a screeching roar._

 _When the local Marines got to the island, they found hell. The village was razed, bodies strewn everywhere, some only partially devoured, others having only a stray limb to show they were once a whole person. The only other thing that remained was the partially devoured corpse of a dead pirate, his face no longer covered by the balaclava, a massive hole that stretched deep into the ground where the village once stood, and a stray mud house, the decaying building somehow unscathed from the carnage…_

 _The Marines wrote the incident off as a freak accident, that a gas eruption had abruptly formed under the island and killed all its inhabitants. They've quarantined the island completely after that, and Betrugus was never seen again…_

 _That is, until more killings happened._

 _Entire towns and villages terrorized, sometimes one or two people would go missing throughout the weeks, other times rows upon rows of bodies were found. All had one telltale sign: they were partially consumed._

 _Those who had been lucky to survive were traumatized beyond repair, but they all recall one thing in particular: a balaclava covered man, wielding dual double axes, with the appetite for human flesh._

 _Betrugus' killing sprees soon became the center topic of South Blue, and his name spread infamy. Donning the title of 'Hunter Killer', he had amassed a whopping 77 million beri bounty. During this time, his savagery had not dulled the least, they may have even increased. Despite this, Betrugus was not stupid, nor had he lost his sanity; he knew that he had to avoid the World Government as much as he can if he were to keep surviving. He did so by separating his killings erratically; there was never a pattern to when he would strike. Though word did eventually leak out of his existence, he made sure to be one step ahead at all times. To this end, he only rarely used his newly gained power, only in circumstances where he needed to leave no witnesses. It was also during this time that he found out what this power truly was. On that fateful day, he had consumed a rare Devil Fruit, a special form of Zoan fruit known as a Kaiju-Zoan. Information was very limited on this subject, as if people purposely did not talk about it, and the World Government seemed to purposely censor anything to do with one. What he did know is that the fruit is called the Ragon Ragon no Mi, it granted him the ability to breath a combustible material from his mouth, and most importantly allows him to tunnel through the earth. Over time, through practice he was able to use it proficiently, as well as learning all the added benefits from it._

 _It was through this unholy combination did the mass murderer manage to avoid detections while carrying out his work. Whenever the killings became too much, he would simply tunnel to a different island. He killed silently by dragging his victims into the ground and always finished the job quickly for prey did not need to suffer. And whenever a squad of marines did find him, they witnessed firsthand of the terrifying power he had in his arsenal. He made sure the Marines never gotten wind of this power when he did use it._

 _Betrugus became a monster, a title granted to those who have witnessed his bloody reputation, and a title he took in with relish. For another 24 years, South Blue was bathed in blood whenever the killer got hungry._

 _It was a fateful day, when Betrugus took the mantle of Enforcer of Baroque Works. He was completing another "hunting" trip; that fisherman never knew what hit him! He had set up a temporary hideout on the north side of this island, hidden from view by rocky canyons. It would serve as a hideaway before the Marines get wind of his whereabouts again. Today, it appears he has guests._

" _Hunter Killer' Betrugus… It seems that word of your reputation were not exaggerated." A deep voice stirred the killer from his feeding. Standing atop the cliff side was the hook handed pirate, along with his partner._

" _My, my… I must be getting popular… to think that 'Sir' Crocodile of the Shichibukai would think about paying me a visit!"_

" _So we're really going to consider him for a part of our organization, Crocodile." The woman beside the Shichibukai noted "We were recruiting bounty hunters, not people who kill indiscriminately. Kaiju-Zoan or not, he could be trouble for us."_

" _Careful there toots, I may have just had my lunch but I'm not opposed to have seconds…" Betrugus growled, before recognizing who the woman really was "Oh… well, that is unexpected! I would've never expected the 'Devil Child' to be in the company of a Shichibukai!"_

" _Her association with me has her benefits, she has been quite useful." Crocodile smirked "Just as I assume you will be."_

" _I take it this isn't just a courtesy visit then?"_

" _Believe me, most people wouldn't want to be associated with you. However, rumors of your talents suggest you will be a good addition to Baroque Works. My organization will eventually bring about events that will shake this world, and I have reasons that you will be a worthy addition to my cause."_

" _Well, then I hate to break it to you. I've been solo for the last couple of years and have no wish to give up my independence. I'm not some bounty hunter you can sway with money, so get lost. I have no wish to work for anyone, certainly not for one of the World Government's dogs."_

" _I expected as much. Then you'd be disappointed to find that when I want something, I don't take no for an answer" Crocodile sneered as sand began to gather around him "You will come with me, whether or not-" he did not finish as Mr. 0.5 flung one of his axes towards the pirate, the blade embedded in the man's forehead._

" _Interesting, I guess I can add killing a Shichibukai to my list now-" the body dissolved into sand before drifting away, and Betrugus suddenly ducked as a golden hook lashed out from behind him._

" _Not bad… you could be useful with just those skills. But you've yet to reveal your powers." Crocodile sneered as he reformed "I came here to find a Kaiju-Zoan user, I would much prefer it if you show me."_

" _I don't have to use it to rip your guts out!" Betrugus snarled before rushing forward to slash with his remaining ax, only for Crocodile to turn his body to sand once more. Every other strike he threw were the same result; Crocodile's intangibility made him invincible in this skirmish. The end result was Crocodile delivering a swift kick towards the killer's temple._

" _Perhaps I was mistaken… oh well, I'll just look for someone else that can fit the bill then." Crocodile shrugged._

 _The ground exploded, before a massive red beast emerged from the resulting smoke. Crocodile grinned as he finally saw what he came for._

" _ **YOU WANT MONSTEROUS?! THEN DON'T REGRET IT WHEN I DEVOUR YOU WHOLE!"**_ _Betrugus bellowed as his maw opened to fire an orange heat ray, only for Crocodile to swirl around and avoid the massive blast. Betrugus attempted to bite down at the President of Baroque Works, but only got a mouthful of sand as a result. He roared in rage before tunneling into the ground as Crocodile stared as a crack bulldozed towards him._

" _This power… it really will aid in my plans!" the man cackled before placing his hand to the ground. He first needed to tame a beast first._

" _ **Ground Secco…"**_ _the ground beneath his palm suddenly dissolved into sand, the surrounding vegetation all drained of their water._

" _ **Ground Death!"**_

 _A sudden howl of agony was sounded as Betrugus burst out of the ground in front of Crocodile, his Fully Transformed body shriveling up as the moisture was drained from it. He fell, severely dehydrated and returned back into his human form. Crocodile walked over and picked him up with the hook around his collar._

" _Your Kaiju-Zoan powers are indeed useful. You will be a fine addition for my plans. But as you can see, even you are no match for me." Betrugus attempted to growl at the statement, only to be flung down hard against the canyon walls. For the first time ever, he was at someone else's mercy._

" _Yield… and join me… or I cannot guarantee your survival." Crocodile snarled._

" _S-Survival…" Betrugus' seethed. The one word that has meaning to him. Everything he does is for survival… he's a beast against the world and will do anything to survive._

" _Y-you will not curb my hunger… I will continue to feed, even if I work for you…"_

 _Crocodile smirked before releasing him, dripping a vial of water on the dehydrated man as well._

" _I do not plan to, your ruthlessness and your unhesitant feelings towards killing will make you rather efficient for my goals. As long as you work towards my goal of the takeover of Alabasta, you can take as many lives as you wish."_

" _Tch, you don't give me any options do you?" Betrugus sighed before resigning to his fate. Crocodile only smirked: his plan was one step closer._

 _Joining Baroque Works turns out to actually be more beneficial to Betrugus than he originally believed. Because of Crocodile's Shichibukai status, he, along with all his subordinates, are granted immunity so long as they don't undermine the World Government. The officials were originally appalled by the idea of the mass murderer under the hand of a Shichibukai, but Crocodile ensure them that he has him under control. Although the killer's violence results him as working as a solo agent, the titular Mr. 0.5 was highly efficient._

 _To this end, the missions he was given were those that involved the removal of criminal groups. No one would mind them gone, and Betrugus had a steady stream of prey. The termination of unruly agents were also a plus; Crocodile has no need for those that were expendable after all. Despite this, his bloodlust sometimes still seep through, and he was quick to make it known. The moniker of 'Red Beast' was given to him by the Alabastan locals who has witnessed his Full Transformation within the desert sands, a title he embraced with relish._

 _The other agents, saw him as something to be feared. While the Mr. 1 duo were wary of his reputation, they were indifferent to his presence and pulled their weight regardless. Mr. 2 was more scared of him, but mostly willing to work together. Mr. 3 and under however, were terrified of the man, knowing what would happen to them if they ever lose their usefulness to Crocodile._

 _Miss All-Sunday was mostly indifferent as well, though her limited knowledge of Kaiju-Zoan powers made her wonder what else was coming._

 _Within the Organization, Betrugus was at home. He was no longer a pariah, but now the monstrous killer that is Mr. 0.5._

 **Flashback end**

" _That's right… I'll survive… I'LL SURVIVE!"_ Mr. 0.5 thought as Gian stepped closer.

" _You've called me a beast before… then you should know what happens when a wild beast is cornered! Unlike you, I have no morals to which restrains me! I'll do whatever it takes to continue surviving!"_

Just as Gian was about to raise his fist up, Betrugus spat out one last **Lava Pulse**. The exhaustion from the aftereffects of a Partial Transformation made it so that that the aim was way off, but it was enough for Gian to lean back in an attempt to avoid it. This, was all the time he needed. Using the last of his strength, Mr. 0.5 Partially Transformed once more.

" **I WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO SURVIVE! I'LL DEVOUR YOU!"** The killer roared as he thrusted his horn forward in an attempt to catch Gian off guard " **DIE!"**

The sudden flash of Aura made Gian realize what was coming. There was not enough time to completely avoid the move. Atomic energy somehow managed to envelop him again, forming his own Partial Transformation. In theory it shouldn't be possible, he shouldn't even have any energy at this point. But, it's like Betrugus said.

He needed to survive too.

His right fist enveloped in atomic energy as he threw his punch at last.

 **SQUEALCH!**

* * *

The two were completely locked together, neither of them were moving. Or, at least no one wanted too.

Mr. 0.5's horn was buried in Gian's collarbone, it was a grievous injury, but one that could heal with rest. His own however, could not.

Gian's fist has plowed through his stomach, ripping a hole into it. His organs were being roasted at this point.

" _I…I… can't survive no more…"_ even then, that thought was still the only one on Betrugus' mind.

Finally both Kaiju-Zoan users dropped to their knees, their transformations dissipating.

"You… will never… kill another person again…" Gian wheezed as he withdrew his arm "I… will never end up like you…"

Then Betrugus gripped his arm tightly.

* * *

"Really now…? Kihehehe… yeah, that's right… you won't be me…" the killer's eyes were glazing over, but a manic fire was still lit within "You'll be so much more…"

"W…What's that…?" Gian whispered hoarsely.

"This… is only just the beginning… By now… you've probably heard Nico Robin's monologue about Kaiju-Zoans… right?!"

"..Nico Robin…?" Did he mean Miss All-Sunday? Is that who she was? The name sounded familiar, but Gian couldn't place where he's heard it before.

"Yeah… that woman…she knows more than she lets on…" the killer paused as he vomited out a sheet of blood. "But she's right… the two of us… we're just 2 monsters on a grand scale chess board… soon, the Kaiju will all return… their age… an era now unknown to the world, will be reminded to them once more…!"

"W-what are you saying?!"

"And you…" Betrugus continued, ignoring his question "You will one of the biggest of them…!" he broke out into broken laughter "I'm just one monster of many, but you? You won't be a mere monster, no… you'll be a _**destroyer…!"**_

"The oceans will boil… the land will quake… and soon, entire countries will lay waste at your feet…! What will you do… when your nakama lay dead as you raze everything! You… and other Grand scale Monsters… will tear this world apart…"

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?! WHY AM I A PART OF THIS?!"

"Kihehehe… I don't know what's to come either… and I can't offer you anymore… I no longer have time in this world…" Betrugus wheezed one last time "Just know that, one day, you along with those other monsters… will send this world to Hell… and on that day… I'll be the first one to greet you…"

Then Betrugus, the killer, the monster, finally breathed his last. A killer that once terrorized all those he came across was finally removed from this world.

 **A/N: Yeah, this is a massive chapter.**

 **But it's out of the way now! I never expected it to take this long! But soon, the Alabasta Arc will be finished and we can move on at last! All we have left is the final battle with Crocodile, some exposition for recent events, as well as the introduction of our beautiful archeologist!**

 **G: Wait… am I actually going to have a decent conversation with her for once?**

 **You'll see. All that should take one more chapter!**

 **After this point, you can expect the Kaiju-Zoans to start having a bigger impact in the story. With the final scene of the chapter, you will see that Kaiju-Zoans are not exactly a very popular topic for the World Government. I'll also reveal a little spoiler. There will be another Kaiju-Zoan user in the Skypiea Arc, I'll let you all guess what monster he might be, and what role he'll play!**

 **With that, I'll conclude this chapter and let you read through it!**

 **Responses to Reviews:**

 **To Chance Green G King:**

 **You got Triton spot on actually.**

 **As for the Blade Point, it wasn't exactly based off of Gigan, but Gigan does have a role in this story, in a pretty important part as well.**

 **To Matt:**

 **Everything that happened here, happened.**

 **To Mr. FanficGuy:**

 **Glad you think so!**

 **G: At least some people like me!**

 **To Tamagat:**

 **I've seen the chart before. It's pretty interesting. As for size, I'm also going to change it a bit. The smallest Kaiju-Zoan user is just a few feet under Oars, while the largest is a bit bigger than Sanjuan Wolf. Gian is bigger than Oars, but smaller than the latter. Mr. 0.5 (Betrugus) is one of the smaller ones, mostly due to Baragon also being quite small.**

 **To anquan16:**

 **If I'm willing to continue down that path, then maybe.**

 **To Vergil Leonidas:**

 **Glad Triton has somewhat of a fanbase.**

 **T: Hey, there's people who like me too!**

 **Yeah, and- wait what? What are you doing here?!**

 **T: Oh, Giant told me about this place that's after the story, and considering I don't have a constant amount of appearances I thought I'd check it out.**

 **G: See? told you you'll love it here!**

 **What have you done…**

 **Anyway, Triton's role would be expanded more nearing the end of the timeskip.**

 **As for the Rumble Ball idea, it probably won't be used as much as you'd think. Usually it's like an emergency thing to begin with, at least that's what I'm counting on, and so there shouldn't be too many forms.**

 **The part to kill off Mr. 0.5 was also a thing I thought about. I envisioned him alive later on as a part of Crocodile's posse in Marineford but I just couldn't, it doesn't help I've got multiple Kaiju-Zoans planned for that as well…**

 **0.5: Yeah, right. You just wrote me out because you wanted some bloodshed.**

 **Well, this isn't exactly a child-friendly… HOLD ON, WHY ARE YOU HERE TOO?!**

 **0.5: I'm here to collect my pay, now that I have no more screen time I feel like I should be a regular in these reviews.**

 **I don't pay any of you…**

 **G: give him something, he was pretty important in this part.**

 **Don't you two hate each?**

 **0.5: no… you wrote us that way, offstage we're actually pretty good pals.**

 **G: Yeah, he's a pretty chill guy. We're gonna get along great.**

… **Is every other Kaiju-Zoan OC I write about going to show up here?**

 **G: You have no idea.**

 **To LapisBizFTW:**

 **Remember, I still have to build up to that. We don't want to rush things here, do we?**

 **G: I still gotta take her out to dinner first.**

 **To JayH120:**

 **All the Gian and Robin stuff will happen in a Chapter or 2. And the Rumble Ball was given to him at the start of the Arc, I'm just using it now.**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **It's coming up very fast. All the Kaiju things!**

 **To Maximusace9:**

 **G: We are adding Jojo references to this story. Definitely.**

 **I… am actually not opposed to that.**

 **To 6BlueSweaters:**

 **For now, that's all we can do. But as you'll see, the recovery time is getting shorter as he gets more adapted to his power.**

 **To Lucas FTW:**

 **You can count on it, Kong actually is a pretty important figure to one of the characters I've talked about briefly.**

 **And that's that! We'll see you next time!**

 **Leave a review so that the other guess stars will show up again!**

 **T: I'd love to see you all again!**

 **0.5: Please! I have no work after this so the fan meetings is all I have!**


	43. Liberation

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Alabasta Arc opening: Know Know Know by Does (Gintama Op. 15)**

On his hands and knees, barely able to move, Gian was hurting all over. It felt like his bones were about to dismantle. Beside him, Betrugus' body was lying face down, blood seeping through the bed rock.

His battle with the opposing Kaiju-Zoan user was over, but the fight for Alabasta wasn't.

No, not until Crocodile was taken down once and for all.

Gian hissed as he glanced at the final wound Mr. 0.5 dealt him, it was still bleeding. Normally his healing factor would mend him by now, but the massive amount of energy he overexerted has slowed it down. A wound that normally took mere seconds to heal now took a few minutes.

The words from Mr. 0.5 was still fresh in his head; how can he even forget such a revelation? There was so many things to know… so many things he had no idea of. He was a just the first mate of a small pirate crew, why was all this suddenly a thing?

" _Supposedly there are other Kaiju-Zoan users that have the power to threaten this world, and I'm a part of that group?"_ a much more dreadful thought manifested " _And… what will happen to the crew…? What are they going to do against that?!"_ Thoughts of his friends drifted through his mind, their smiling faces, all they've been through…

And one day they'll all suffer death by Kaiju… indirectly, but still him… Gian gasped in horror at the thought.

" _NO! I can't… I won't! There's no way any of that could be true, right? This is just that psychopath getting into your head!"_

But now he wasn't so sure. There were so many things that Triton never mentioned to him, and only now was he finding out that this power is more than it seems. There is a possibility that he may have not known of it, but the fact that he's only now hearing about this was beginning to become overwhelming.

And to think, just a few weeks ago, he was just leaving his home island to go on an adventure…

Before he could ponder further, the room suddenly shook violently. Unable to move, Gian can only gasp in shock as the ground beneath him collapsed even further. Barely able to move a muscle, he could do nothing as he fell into the abyss.

* * *

It was only when he landed that he realized he isn't able to rest, not just yet.

"You making this tomb cave in means nothing. It will not stop me at all." An all too familiar voice made Gian's blood run cold.

"Now that I know Pluton does exist, I'll just have to look for it myself…" Crocodile growled with annoyance.

"You won't get away with this!"

Gian looked around, seeing King Cobra glaring defiantly at the Shichibukai. Other things he noted was that he was in an underground chamber of some sort, one that seemed to have existed for quite a long time.

His eyes widened at the most shocking things in the room, however. A large stone block with incomprehensible writing was located at the center of the chamber. Gian felt a shock as he realized that it looked very similar to the large block on Little Garden. Could they be connected?

The other was Miss All-Sunday, or now that he knew her name, Nico Robin. The partner of Crocodile was no longer by his side, but now collapsed with a fresh wound, clearly from Crocodile's hook. In her hand was a vial of water, it appears that she attempted to strike him, but failed.

* * *

"C-C-Crocodile…" for some reason, seeing her prone form lying down on the ground, bleeding into the sand, triggered something within him. She was possibly the only one that could offer him any solace now, the only one with answers. If she dies here…

"T-then I'll never have the answers I need…" gritting his teeth, as his body was burning with pain, Gian fired an **Atom Ray** towards the Shichibukai. It was much weaker than what he'd normally breathe out, more of a wisp than a fiery beam. Crocodile saw it coming from a mile away, and easily sidestepped it.

"You… I remember you… back there in the desert… It seems that you've taken down Mr. 0.5…" the Shichibukai growled in annoyance. His suspicions were confirmed when he spotted the body of the killer, still lying beside Gian, no longer breathing.

"To think… even he could only be so useful…"

"W-what… did you-" Gian growled weakly "That woman…"

"She's served her purpose, she is no longer useful to me. She was meant to translate this Poneglyph to find Pluton, but it appears this doesn't mention it at all…" Crocodile shrugged nonchalantly "And 'Hunter Killer' Betrugus… even he has a limit. It appears you've surpassed him."

Crocodile strode over to the fallen Kaiju-Zoan user, glaring down at him "I wouldn't normally ask this of people, but you possess a power greater than that of Betrugus… your Kaiju-Zoan fruit will even stronger than his… yes, I think that would be the best choice of action… Once my takeover of Alabasta is complete, I will use you as a substitute for Mr. 0.5."

"W-what are you talking about?!"

"It's not hard to comprehend, I'm talking about military power. A Kaiju-Zoan, regardless of which side he's on or what his allegiance is to, is a big asset to the military power of whomever possesses one in their ranks. Originally, the best course of action would be to have both of you, but that wouldn't be possible; Mr. 0.5 wanted to kill you personally after all. So I will simply make do with you. It isn't Pluton, but it could be something better."

"I get it now… you want me to work for you as a weapon of mass destruction…" Crocodile snarled as Gian spat in his face "Don't make me laugh… that's the most preposterous reason one could give me… I'm the first mate of the Straw Hat Pirates… no one else tells me what to do but Monkey D.- GARK! **"**

The pain of Crocodile slamming his foot down on his chest had amplified by his exhaustion.

"It would be wise not to throw away a chance at life…" the man growled "Do you think… as you are right now… have any reason to throw away my offer?! You're not trying to stop me, are you? Look at you right now… weakened by your battle with Betrugus, you can hardly lift an arm, let alone be defiant! Your wounds aren't even healing at their accelerated pace! You don't even have that seastone weapon of yours…"

"Go… to hell…" Gian wheezed out, before sand smashed into him, as Crocodile forced it to mold around the Kaiju-Zoan user.

"If you're that eager to meet death… then I'll send you to her!" Crocodile snarled as more sand wrapped around his body. Gian let out a pained wheeze as he felt the pressure tighten. It seems like it truly over now.

That is, until a piercing war cry sounded.

"CROOOOCODIIIILLLLLLE!"

* * *

The Shichibukai barely managed to turn before a bloody fist smashed into his face. With what parts of his head remained outside of the sand, Gian saw Luffy running down the stairs to the chamber, battered, but still determined to fight.

" _L-Luffy…"_

"You… why can't you just die?!" Crocodile shouted with rage as blood dripped down his face.

"I'll never fall! Not while this country is still suffering! As long as you're here, Vivi will always be in pain!" the captain shouted.

As Crocodile charged him, Luffy lashed out with another fist, this time also smashing Crocodile in the face, he followed up with a kick, hitting him in the stomach. With all the blood on his body, it was able to cancel out the invulnerability that Crocodile's Suna Suna no Mi normally granted him.

As the two battled it out, King Cobra hurried over to the buried Kaiju-Zoan user and hastily uncovered him from the sand.

"That boy… Is he actually thinking of taking on Crocodile?" Cobra wondered.

"Heh… Luffy isn't the type to give up. You can beat him down repeatedly, but he just doesn't break." Gian smiled weakly, before suddenly remembering something.

"Hey… king… you got anything to eat…?"

"…pardon?"

"Food… like bread, grapes, anything. I just need something to eat."

"Why is that a concern as of right now?" the king asked.

"Because I have to go help him. He's strong, but I'm not taking any chances with Crocodile."

Cobra's eyes widened as Gian staggered up, with quite some difficulty "But you're injured! You look like you can barely stand, let alone fight! Why not just have faith in-"

"Luffy's been pushing himself way too hard here. I can't just stand by and do nothing! Normally I'd stay out of his way, but this time I have to make an exception." The thought of his future self potentially bringing destruction to his friends, somehow that's pushing him to the edge. There is no way, no way in the world, he'll let that happen. And he'll prove it by giving his all here as well.

"Besides, Crocodile almost suffocated me in sand, I don't like that very much."

"But how are you able to fight?"

"Like I said, give me a bite to eat and I'll manage."

The king stared for a few more seconds, unsure of what to do. Then he resigned and produced a small cake from his robes. It was a snack he had brought earlier, and it barely weighed anything. Gian snatched it up regardless and wolfed it down. The minute he swallowed he felt strength returning to his body; a small amount, but it will do.

"Thank you, this is all I need." Then the king's eyes widened in shock once more, as Gian morphed into his Partial Transformation. His breathing was heavy; it's possible that this could all backfire and he'd transform back completely wasted during the middle of the fight. But right now, Luffy needed his help.

* * *

And help was definitely appreciated. After figuring out the blood on the boy pirate's fists and feet were able to make him touch him. Crocodile decided to throw mercy out the window. The next time Luffy was struck by his hook, he got a nasty surprise as his vision began to blur and his head became heavy.

"And there we have it… the poison in this hook is now coursing through your body… you should drop within 5 minute, that is if you don't get buried first!" Crocodile sneered before rushing forwards. Luffy was too disorientated to avoid the blow as he watched as the now poison tipped hook swung towards his head.

Before a pair of jaws bit around the weapon and pushed Crocodile to the side.

"Gian?! When did you get here?!" Luffy realized who came to his rescue.

"Why… WHY WON'T ANY OF YOU DIE?!" Crocodile roared with frustration as he tried to untangle the Partial Transformation's teeth away from his hook. This proved to be a mistake as Gian, using all of his strength, ripped the hook from the base, leaving Crocodile weaponless.

" **PWAH! I got poison in my mouth…"** Gian panted " **Sorry, Luffy. Normally I'd let you handle your own business, but I want a piece of Crocodile as well!"**

Luffy grinned "Then we'll kick his ass together!"

"Fools… both of you! Standing against me will be the biggest mistake you will ever make!" Crocodile shouted in anger "Both of you are weakened beyond belief at the moment, it's a wonder you two can even move!"

"It's more than enough… to let us kick your ass!" Luffy panted. It was true, Crocodile's poison hook was now making his muscles very rigid, and soon he wouldn't be able to stand.

"Why do the two of you think all this struggling is worth it in the first place?!" Crocodile demanded "You purposely choose to charge headfirst towards death, and for what?! Helping a pathetic princess? All this could've been avoided… you wouldn't have been hobbling and soon to be buried under tons of rubble, all this, if you'd just stayed out of my way!"

" **That doesn't work for us Croc, we're taking you down one way or another…"** Gian snarled. His own fists were dabbed with the still bleeding blood of his shoulder; it was healing quicker now, but still slower than normal. The food energy was also beginning to drop, he figured he has about another minute left only.

"Two rookie pirates who are way over their heads think they can stand up to me?! By the time this tomb caves in, you'll both be nothing more than another casualty in the success of my plan!" Crocodile sneered.

"That's why we'll keep fighting! We're not giving up, just as Vivi isn't giving up on the country, we won't give up until we beat you down!" Luffy shot back.

"Then that will be the last mistake you'll ever make! **Ground Secco…"**

"Gian, jump! We have to avoid that!"

" **GROUND DEATH!"**

The two had to jump around as pillars around them dissolved into sand. Fortunately, the king was out of range for the attack to drain him of his moisture. He watched in rapt amazement as the two youths, both heavily injured, continued to stand up to the Shichibukai.

And what teamwork! As Luffy launched a barrage of fists, Gian took advantage of Crocodile's focus on avoiding those blows, snuck behind him, and raked his claws down his back. As Crocodile sent another blade of sand towards the Partially Transformed Kaiju-Zoan user, he was sent flying by one of Luffy's kicks.

"Amazing… those two are giving it their all…! But how long will it last?"

Thanks to the blood on their arms, both boys were able to bypass the intangibility Crocodile's logia fruit normally grants him. But the President of Baroque Works wasn't a Shichibukai for nothing, and soon both of them got that experience. As Gian rushed towards him from the right, Crocodile blindsided him with his now hookless prosthesis, only for a dagger to extend out of the blade and slashed the Kaiju-Zoan user in an upwards swing, cutting a gash across his chest. Luffy dash forwards as well to avenge his nakama, but had to leap over Crocodile's right hand to avoid getting drained. He soon found out this was planned however, as the Shichibukai whirled around and gave him another cut across his back. The two landed with a loud thud, only to stagger back up, gritting their teeth to continue.

"You two should just give up now! For rookies who haven't an ounce of knowledge about the real world, you're in way over your heads!" Crocodile snarled "So, why… why won't you two stay down?!"

"I don't give a shit… I'm going to help Vivi… and I'll beat you here!" Luffy demanded.

" **Heh… I've seen enough of the world to know where I'm headed… and it ain't dying in some tomb!"** Gian grinned before lunging and Crocodile. As Crocodile raised his dagger again, Gian wrapped his arms around his midsection, grappling him.

"You had your chance to join me, 'Beast Warrior'… now you'll know what happens when you bite the hand that feeds you!" Crocodile sneered; in this position, the Kaiju-Zoan user was wide open for his right hand to drain him. But he soon noted Gian's grin, and in shock that before charging him, Gian had wiped some blood onto his brow.

" **And I've told you… your offer can eat shit!"**

Gian's never head-butted someone before, but there was a first time for everything. And that was exactly what he chose to do. As Crocodile reeled back in shock, he never blocked the massive uppercut that sent him flying to the air above.

It was only further impacted when Luffy leapt upwards as well.

" **Gomu Gomu no…. Gatling!"**

His fists still bloody, it was enough to land a few blows on the airborne pirate. Crocodile soon recovered however, before whirling around as sand condensed around his palm.

"You two… ARE SERIOUSLY PISSING ME OFF!" he roared as the sand was actually _crackling_ with energy build up.

" **Luffy! Be careful, he has something planned!"** heeding this, the rubber boy quickly landed, and Gian had to run under the Shichibukai to prepare a retaliation.

" **Atom Ray!"**

" **Sables… PESADO!"**

It wasn't a sandstorm this time, it was a shockwave of super condensed sand particles that collided with the beam of radiation. The entire room exploded with the two attacks smashed together, sending both ground combatants slamming into the ground with a slam, while sending the President of Baroque Works higher.

"That… Won't stop me!" Luffy shouted as he got up first. Gian got up woozily soon after, as he noticed his captains twisting his body around.

It was now then that his Partial Transformation dissipated, he really had no more energy to keep it up after that.

But he could still do one thing.

Even after all this, even after taking all that abuse, Luffy still had the will to fight on. His determination hasn't dulled the least.

And Gian knew at that moment, no matter what his future self may do, harming his captain is something he'll never do.

Luffy felt a hand weakly touch him, before his entire body temperature flared up. His eyes widened to look as his entire body was surrounded by a bright blue aura.

"W-what is this?!"

"Go on… Attack… it's the last of my Atomic energy… I can't move anymore… so hit Crocodile ten times as hard!" Gian grinned.

"Gian… I got it!" Luffy smiled, before wincing "This kind of burns…"

"I know… that's why you need to attack now…!"

Luffy's eyes were then full of fire as he completed his stance. This last attack, will free Alabasta from the grip of the tyrant, was what he thought as he let his body loose.

" **Gomu Gomu no…"**

Crocodile's eyes widened as he realized what his opponent was planning. Sand whipped around his arm as he desperately attempted one last time to kill them.

" **DESERT LA SPADA!"** he roared as multiple sand blades snaked towards the two.

"… **ATOMIC SUPERNOVA!"**

* * *

It was decisive, the sand blades instantly shattered by the joint attack. Luffy's radiation charged fists were hitting Crocodile so hard, he felt like meteorites were smacking into his body. And in a way, he'd be right. Each punch caused a miniature explosion to form on the Shichibukai's sandy body, still tangible due to the remaining blood, and even if he decided to do so, the heat would've vaporized his sand anyway.

It was like this that Crocodile was blown through the very bedrock itself. As the concerned citizens above heard the square rip open as the pirate was airborne for a split second, even they could not comprehend what had happened. Crocodile blacked out even before he landed, as a crack of lightning flashed, and he began to fall.

It was only when he landed with a heavy crash, did the people of Alabasta finally knew what had happened.

"Luffy-san… he did it! Alabasta is free!" Vivi wept in happiness.

As the shock wore off, gradually replaced by cheering, it was made all the sweeter as the clouds finally burst.

"Rain… rain in Alabasta…! WE REALLY HAVE WON!" the entire crowd cheered. Truly it was heaven at this point.

Back below ground, Luffy finally dropped to a knee after the attack ended. A smile started growing as he took in his victory.

"On second thought… maybe I shouldn't have lend you that atomic energy… that was complete overkill!" Gian laughed, which was cut off as he doubled over in coughing.

"I don't believe it…! They actually did it…! They actually saved the country!" King Cobra had tears of happiness as well.

"Fufufu… of course they would..." his celebration was cut short as his head snapped around to see a wounded Nico Robin softly smile at the scene as well "When those who bear the Will of D. joins a Kaiju… the power they can unleash could change the course of the world itself…"

"W-what are you…?"

"Even I don't know… what they do is something people cannot predict…" the woman responded before wincing in pain.

"That reminds me… why did you lie earlier?" the king suddenly remembered "I cannot read the writing, but I do know of its contents. That Poneglyph really does state the whereabouts of Pluton, so why did you say it didn't?

"It may be too late to say this now… but I never wish for the awakening of one of the Ancient Weapons… all I want is to find history…" Robin mumbled "That dream had made many enemies for me… but I seek it regardless…"

"I…I don't…" Cobra started before he realized that the woman had given him a small bottle.

"This contains the antidote for Crocodile's poison… you should give it to 'Straw Hat' Luffy quickly…" the king nodded quickly before rushing over two the two tired fighters. As soon as the liquid went down his throat Luffy stopped shaking as the poison faded.

"I cannot thank you two enough for what you've done… You've saved us all…!"

"Heh… we had a friend I need… we won't just ignore her…" Gian smiled weakly "Also… this place is still caving in; we may have even made it collapse faster… which is the way out…?"

"Right… we will leave immediately." The king nodded as he lifted the two of them, now both too weak to stand. They managed to get a few steps before Gian suddenly froze.

"Wait… one more thing…"

* * *

At this point Robin had resigned to fate. During her life, there wasn't one moment of solace. Of course, none of it is her fault, but circumstance drove her to do some unsavory things to survive.

" _Well… it did pay off sometimes… now that I see it, dying isn't so-"_

Her eyes suddenly widened as she felt herself being lifted. Despite his muscles literally screaming at him to fall, for some reason this last little bit made Gian able to keep walking. Of course, he could barely manage a hobble, but somehow, he needed this woman to live.

"W-what are you doing?!"

"What… does it look like…?" Gian grunted "I'm leaving… don't wanna… get buried…"

"Put me down at once! I have no more to seek… just leave me to die!" the woman shouted.

"Yeah… that ain't happening… I've told you… I want answers… what you do afterwards is up to you… but we both have to get out of here first…!" Ignoring her protests he continued to push himself towards the exit.

"Gian, hurry. We have to go!" Luffy shouted from near a stairwell. It seems the exit is there. Gian nodded, before carrying his reluctant passenger with him as the 4 of them trudged out of the tomb.

* * *

It says that those who endure, find the sweetest rewards at the end of their road.

As the drops of rain fell on their skin... as they took in the sound of cheers… as they saw Vivi's tearful smile… as they saw their nakama racing towards them… Luffy and Gian both smiled.

They've won. Alabasta was liberated. The Civil War is over.

And only then, did the two of them allowed themselves to fall.

* * *

 _After an unknown amount of time:_

" _Onee-sama! Where are you?! I'm scared"_

 _Everything was a blur, there was so much noise. It sounded like crying, of fear, of loss and confusion. People cutting other people down, looks of fear on either face. Sound of what appears to be something whistling through the air, but nothing could be seen._

 _The sound of footsteps were everywhere, it was disorienting. Nothing made sense, why did this happen?!_

" _Onee-sama!" he cried._

" _Gian!"_

 _Then wrapped around the embrace of another. It was one of the girls, the younger one. She had been crying, she was equally confused. She was in her teens, he was still fairly childlike._

" _Onee-sama… what is going on?! Why is this happening?!"_

" _Something bad has happened… even I don't know why… all I can tell you is this, nothing can be the same anymore!"_

" _W-why? Where is father? Where is mother? Where is S-?"_

" _Please, Gian! You have to be brave! Promise me, that whatever happens, you will always be brave! If you do not then-!"_

" _FUFUFUFUFU-!"_

* * *

"STOP IT!"

He was in a bed. The room was clean and had multiple other beds just like this one.

Gian was breathing hard; who wouldn't? It was that girl again, but this time there was only one of them; the other was nowhere to be seen. But what matters was that he never had this dream sequence before.

" _What the hell is happening to me?!"_

He was so preoccupied with that that he got quite the startle when he looked up to see his nakama standing beside his bed.

"Did you have to be so lively about it?" Zoro grumbled "You were tossing and turning so much and mumbling all the while. We had no idea what was happening and Chopper was terrified."

"W-what happened?"

"Don't you remember? Baroque Works was defeated. Alabasta is at peace now. Whatever you and Luffy did, you guys did it." Sanji replied.

"…How long was I out for?"

"2 and a half days. I think your healing helped here. Luffy is still out of it." Usopp breathed a sigh of relief.

"Where did Nico Robin go?"

"Who?" Nami tilted her head "When we found the king it was only you and Luffy unconscious."

" _So she left then…"_ Gian sighed. Who knows when he'll meet her again? There were still so many things he needed to know!

"Well, at least I feel like I can walk now." Gian nodded as he looked himself over. A good part of his body was wrapped in bandages, something that rarely happens due to his healing factor. With a good amount of bedrest, it seems like the energy expended during his fight with Mr. 0.5 had mostly recovered.

"WAAAAH, GIAN I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO DIE!" Chopper cried. Gian chuckled before picking up the doctor.

"Well, I feel better now. Thank you, you've must have played a part in stabilizing me." Chopper had been working nonstop with the local doctors to get the two of them back under stable conditions. With all they've been through, it was surprising to see their bodies handle it at all! For the past few days, they been sleeping and unable to wake.

"S-shut up! Saying that isn't going to make me happy you know!" The reindeer stammered as he did his little dance.

They soon filled out what happened during those two days. Soon after, Vivi and the King both officially ended the Civil War, after clarification of the King's doppelganger was brought to light. The country had already begun the process of recovery. Assistance has been sent to places such as Yuba which were affected most by the drought, with both the former Rebel Army now working in close tandem with the Alabastan Royal Guard. Rebel Leader Kohza soon recovered enough to oversee some of that. Chopper also played a role in that as he assisted in tending to the injured as much as he can, split between them and the crew. Vivi's guardian Igaram was also revealed to be alive following their encounter at Whiskey Peak, somehow surviving the destruction of his ship. It was him that recovered Gian's Atom Splitter and had returned it to the crew.

Speaking of them, they were only just invited to the palace. Originally they turned the offer down, seeing as their status of pirates could induce suspicion upon the Marines that are still active in the country. Gian was not surprised to see that Smoker was still doing what had to be done; swiftly giving orders for the arrest of Crocodile and any Baroque Works member they could find. He became concerned when he heard that Smoker now had other company. Captain 'Black Cage' Hina had joined him about a day ago, and soon they will have to leave for their own safety. It took a bit of convincing from Vivi and even the king himself to finally relocate the crew from the streets to within the palace.

A knock on the door revealed a beaming Nefeltari Vivi, now dressed up in formal wear, alongside the 3 Royal Guards.

* * *

"Gian-san, you are awake!"

"I'm still a bit sore… but I'm better now. Luffy is still sleeping though."

"I'm glad. I'm sure Luffy-san will be up soon as well. In the meantime, would you mind coming with us? Father wishes to speak to you personally."

"What does His Majesty want with me?" Gian was confused. The rest of the crew were quite surprised as well, except for Chopper, who was more concerned with another fact:

"WHAA?! Gian can't get up! He has to stay in bed and rest!"

"I'm healed now though!" Gian reminded him.

"You may be healed physically but the mental stress is still there! You're exhausted! I forbid you to leave the room until you are no longer tired!" Chopper tried to execute his authority as a doctor, but was only picked up and given to Zoro to hold as he got up to follow the princess.

"This is why I like you, Chopper. Never change."

"WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH- GET BACK HERE!"

* * *

Soon, the 3 Royal Guards walked ahead, while Gian and Vivi hung back for a bit.

"I must say, even for a princess you guys know your decorations!" Gian commented as he looked around. Vivi giggled at that.

"Well, it seems like everything is over, for everything we've been through, I'd say for the most part bringing you back here went pretty well."

"Yes… we've made it to the end of the journey." Vivi agreed with a tint of sadness in her voice, one that was not missed by her companion. Truth be told, once they leave, having no princess on the ship would be pretty quiet. The bond between them all was definitely there, and to go their separate ways is hard for both of them.

"…You know, Luffy might ask you to join the crew…" Gian offhandedly commented. Vivi flinched at that; it was certainly something she'd thought about, hell she was thinking it just moments before too! And she'd be lying to herself if she said she doesn't want to be a part of that. They really are her friends, she doesn't want to see them go. But she can't just leave…?

"Well… that's- that's-"

"You're right, it's too difficult to think about. We're not pressuring you or anything, considering the spot you're in." Gian assured her, a part of him wants her to stay as well. But being a princess is a large burden, and she has her own responsibilities "Let's not talk about that now, ok?"

"Yes… that would be for the best."

* * *

They soon arrived at the throne room. Igaram went ahead and requested entry.

"Your Majesty, 'Beast Warrior' Gian has arrived."

"Yes, thank you Igaram. I will speak with him alone." Pell obliged and beckoned him to enter.

"First order of business, I think you've heard this already. But I want to thank you all for saving us all." The King smiled.

"It really isn't that big of a deal. Vivi is our friend, and we see her as such." Gian replied.

"Believe me, for not only helping my daughter, saving my life, and giving us our country's future back, we have more than enough to thank you for."

"We are but mere pirates, these acts of gratitude should not be meant for us."

"As your friends have already noted. That aside, there's something else I wish to speak to you about." The king grew somber at that.

"Please tell." Gian piqued.

"Back in the Grave of Kings, Crocodile mentioned that you're a Kaiju-Zoan user… from what I saw you seem to be rather agitated by the fact."

"I mean, you've seen it yourself haven't you?" Gian sighed "However, there's been recent events that have been… revealed to me, that I did not know of before."

Cobra nodded "And you are concerned that this newfound knowledge will affect you and your friends in some way?"

"Precisely."

"I see. Although I cannot relate to such feelings, I can offer you some insight, if it may ease your thoughts."

Gian was alerted by this "Please, do tell! Any knowledge would help me!"

"Though Alabasta has seen very little Kaiju-Zoan users up until that underling of Crocodile's, the concept of Kaiju are not unfamiliar to us, at least to those who were its rulers" Cobra sighed "However, the presence of Kaiju were not something that were often celebrated. Like the natural world itself, their presence have both spelled prosperity and destruction for the country."

"How have the Kaiju affected Alabasta's history?"

"The Poneglyph within the Grave of Kings tells us about some of this." Cobra continued "There have been 4 instances of Kaiju in Alabastan History. Twice, they have been a scourge, but twice more have those beasts been our guardians."

"According to the scripture, there was once a time when certain rulers of Alabasta had sought the favor of Kaiju, whether it was for conquest, protection, we do not know. The same could be said about why the former two examples on why the Kaiju attacked Alabasta. History has always been very sparse in this area…" Cobra sighed "Other times it seems that Kaiju have seemingly been sent as a form of divine punishment, as they ravaged the country under their power. Unfortunately, I do not have the ability to read the ancient writings upon the Poneglyph, and thus most of my knowledge were passed down from previous generations, however small."

"The Kaiju… they weren't just mindless beasts… they actually interacted with people!" Gian's eyes widened in wonder. He remembered seeing some of this in his vision on Little Garden, but now more was revealed to him.

"It would seem that way. There was one more instance where the Kaiju was mentioned, this part I specifically found out only after Crocodile's defeat, through his partner."

* * *

"Nico Robin…"

"Crocodile had believed that the Poneglyph did not reveal the location of Pluton, but that had been a lie. The Ancient Weapon was indeed stated within the stone, but even intriguing was what it was used for."

"The Ancient Weapons… are related to the existence of Kaiju?" Gian asked.

"It would seem that way. Although what the Weapons were built for have always been of speculation, there was at least one instance within the Poneglyph that mentions the use against Kaiju."

Gian was surprised to hear that.

"Pluton has untold destructive capabilities, and according to the scripture, they witnessed it used to combat the Kaiju directly. The reason leading up to that instance is not known; there are still so many gaps within history that is unknown to us. Even this information I got from that woman…"

"And… was there anything that mentioned the existence of Kaiju-Zoans, or how they came to be?" Gian inquired, but Cobra shook his head.

"Unfortunately, she did not find anything that mentions Devil Fruits similar to yours. Our historical records beyond that also had nothing."

"So it seems like I'll have to ask her myself if I want to know more… if I'll ever see her again." Gian sighed.

"I am sorry, I wish I could have been of more help."

"No, this is more than enough!" Gian smiled "Every little bit of knowledge is helpful."

"I am glad to hear of that. Now, why don't you return to your friends? We have a grand feast planned for you all once 'Straw Hat' Luffy awakes!"

"Skrehahaha… yeah I could use something to eat…" He bowed slightly before taking his leave.

"One more moment if you please!" the king called out.

"Gian… is that the only name you have?" he asked.

"Um… yes? I don't think I've gotten any more, nor do I need it."

"No parents? Or family?"

"I've got a family, they may not be my birth ones but they're family. Whoever my parents are, or were, I'd at least like to know where they went off to…" Gian closed his eyes "Sorry, I've got no memory of my birth parents, everything before the... time… is rather hazy. Can't remember much, and I'd much rather not remind myself of my earlier years."

"Of course… I do apologize for my imprudence." The king nodded.

Gian nodded back before departing. King Cobra sat a while longer, looking at the door.

"Gian… I don't know where, but I've felt like I've heard that name somewhere before…"

* * *

 _The next day:_

All journeys must come to an end, and this one is the same.

Luffy finally woke after another half day, naturally he was hungry. At dinner that night he and Gian alone probably caused the entire kitchen to waste a good 3 months' worth of food. After that, the king invited everyone to use their bathhouse. What happened… was interesting.

* * *

" _MY EYES! MY VIRGIN EYES! WHY MUST THEY BE SUBJECTED TO SUCH LEWDNESS?!"_

" _STOP OVERREACTING GIAN!"_

" _Gian-san… about why they're on the ground…"_

 _"I CAN PROBABLY GUESS NOW, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!"_

* * *

Overall… that night had been fun... in a way…

Now, at the crack of dawn, they had rode a group of ducks to the coast. The plan was to secure the Going Merry before going to Alabasta's eastern coast. They had promised to meet Vivi one last time before leaving. It's going to be a bittersweet farewell when the Princess will come and visit them…

"Alright, guys. Smoker and the rest of the marines may have had a ceasefire with us during the whole stop Baroque Works part, but now they'll be after us again. Do we all know what to do?" Gian reminded everyone.

"I still can't believe the Okama is helping us… it was just a few days ago we were fighting, and now he's getting us out of here." Sanji mused. The night before, Mr. 2 had unexpectedly called in and stated that he will use his Mane Mane no Mi's powers to assist them in escaping. Though suspicious at first, the crew decided that if the Okama was going to help them, they might as well take the chance. Besides, he sounded sincere.

"Well he better get his ass back here soon! He took our ship of all things!" Nami complained.

Soon however, it seems like Mr. 2 may be trustworthy after all as they spotted the Going Merry pulling up. Mr.2 jumped down and greeted them.

"I still don't understand why you guys are going east… shouldn't you be focused on leaving as soon as possible with Hina and Smoker both looking for you guys?" the okama couldn't help but wonder.

"That… is none of your business. We have a promise to keep." Sanji told him.

"Hey, hey. I already told you I'm on your side now! No need to be so hostile…"

"Yeah… you did help us with this… for that we thank you." Gian smiled.

"Yeah! You're so nice! The next time we meet I'll help you out as well!" Luffy assured him.

"It's a promise then!" Mr. 2 cried as he got on his own ship.

With that, they set off, ready to continue.

* * *

"I really do hope Vivi can join the crew! We're friends already, it'll be so much fun!" Luffy pondered.

"Yeah! I hope so as well!" Chopper agreed.

"It really is a different place with the princess here… isn't it?" Gian chuckled, but he was less certain. The conversation they had showed that Vivi was rather indecisive about the idea. Not that he could blame her, she does have a lot of responsibilities now.

" _She has a country to help run… they'll need her there more than we need her here…"_

Their musings were broken when sound of cannon fire were heard, and moments later the waters around them began spraying up.

"The Marines!" Mr. 2 screamed "'Black Cage' Hina has found us!"

Indeed, the pink haired woman was commanding just one ship of marines, 2 more squadrons were also approaching near her.

"The Straw Hat Pirates have been found… be ready to capture them!"

"Yes Hina-taisa!" two men in particular were the first to see to her orders. For some reason, former Black Cat Pirate Jango was now in the Marines, as was former lieutenant Fullbody, now demoted to work under her. Both men seemed not care in the slightest, as they ordered their ship to open fire.

"Spike?! They're firing spikes?!" Usopp screamed as they tried to evade.

"Must be to puncture the Merry… as well as so Luffy can't bounce it back!" Zoro cursed.

"See? This is why I told you to get out quickly!" Mr. 2 panicked from his other ship.

"That doesn't matter! We have to see a friend and we're not going to leave without at least seeing her!" Gian shouted back.

Mr. 2 was in tears as he saw the noble reason these guys were risking their lives for. Friendship, what a beautiful thing! And he was going to see that friendship to the end.

"MEN! WE ARE GOING TO BUY THEM TIME! SUCH A BOND BETWEEN FRIENDS MUST BE PROTECTED!"

"YES SIR!"

With that, the okama switched his face with Luffy's before getting the attention of the Marines, with the rest of his crew also taking on the Straw Hat's likeliness and just like that, a group of them broke off and went after the okama, including Hina herself.

" _Good luck, go to your friend!"_ Mr. 2 hoped as he led them further away.

* * *

"WHAT A BRAVE GUY! WE'LL NEVER FORGET YOU!" Luffy, Usopp and Chopper cried. The rest of the crew also paid their respects. For a man that potentially sacrified himself so that they may continue with their plan… he really was a great person.

"There's still a few on us! GET OUT OF OUR WAY!" Luffy shouted. The remaining marines without their captain couldn't do a thing to stop them, as Luffy barrled through them.

"We should be at the meeting spot soon!" Nami informed everyone.

And indeed, as they got closer to the cliff, they can here Vivi's voice. Today was actually supposed to be a time for her to give a speech, but she herself has somewhere to be. The King had supported her decision on this, after all they've been through so much! The Straw Hats could hear it clearly, about how despite all the hardships they've faced under Crocodile, all the pain they've been through, they will be strong and prevail. She noted that, in her darkest time, a ship of light had come to her, and carried her through the monstrous waves to the light. She is sure they, as a country, will recover from all this. But it wasn't the princess herself making this speech, it was her bodyguard! Igaram mentally wished her to make it there, as people were beginning to see through the façade.

"It doesn't look like Vivi-chan's coming…" Sanji mumbled. It was to be expected… she is a princess, she was different than them.

"No! She'll be here, I'm know!" Luffy shouted back.

"Luffy! She's a princess! She has a country to take care of! By now, Hina should've caught onto Mr. 2 façade and will be back any minute!" Gian tried to coax.

"THE MARINES ARE COMING BACK!" Usopp screamed.

"See? We might have to go!" but Luffy said nothing.

And it seemed like Luffy's face had paid off! Soon, a cry from atop the cliff made them see that their princess friend had arrived with Carue.

"EVERYONE!" Vivi shouted.

"She's here!" Luffy was about to wave back, but Nami swiftly pinned him down.

"There are marines here! We can't let them see that she has associations with a bunch of pirates!"

"But-"

"Nami's right. If the Marines found out that the Royal Family of Alabasta are associated with us, they might label them as pirate sympathizers, and then it would end badly for them. I don't even think most of the country knows we're involved in this, so it's best to keep this between us." Gian warned. Only then did Luffy shut up.

"I can never thank you all enough for all of this!" Vivi continued "Many times, when I thought I would fall, when I was too scared to go on, you guys would be there… helping me up, helping me every step of the way…!"

Tears began to flow down her face as she continued "Each and every one of you are genuinely my friends! I so wish I could join you on the rest of your journey! The seas, they are filled with so much wonder, and I wish I could be a part of that with you all…!"

"But… I have to say goodbye!"

Luffy nodded sadly, as did the rest of the crew. This bittersweet conclusion, they all knew it was coming, but no one had the courage to face it.

"I so wish… there could be another way! But I love this country too much! I've seen it suffer, and I want to be there to help it recover every step of the way, just like how you've helped me!" tears were flowing freely, letting go of friends was never easy.

"I-I I just have one more thing to say… If we meet again… whenever, wherever… will you still call me a friend? As long as my memory has all of you in it, will we always be friends?"

But only silence met her. Of course, on board the Going Merry, the crew all wanted to shout out their confirmations to her, but with the marines so close, they can't take that risk.

" _Please… don't let it end just like this…! Don't leave me like this…!"_ Vivi wept, with Carue warbling sadly.

And then she saw it.

Luffy's raised arm, with the mark that they made when they first arrived.

The mark of their friendship.

Happy tears were flowing, as Gian's arm shot of next, followed by Zoro's, then Sanji's then Nami's, Usopp's and Choppers. Each and every one of them, arms raised proudly, with one clear message:

Their friendship will never die.

Vivi sobbed in joy, before raising her own marked arm, and Carue raised a wing as well. It was a sign that one day, they will definitely meet again. And Vivi looked forward to that day.

"Alright…" Luffy smiled through tears "Let's set sail."

 _Later:_

"We should be far away now… the marines are no longer following us." Gian noted.

"Yeah… it was pretty close." Zoro confirmed "Where to next?"

His answer was a miserable moan.

"…We have to go somewhere…" Gian sighed, only to be met by another groan. Everyone else except for him and Zoro were looking forlornly over the rails back in the direction of Alabasta.

"WE MISS HER!"

"For crying out loud, if you wanted her to come, you should've just forced her to come!" Zoro snapped, only to be met by angry rebuttals.

"Guys… she has responsibilities now. She has a country that loves her, and which she loves back, as well as people she care about. We can't just take all that away from her." Gian coaxed, the crew thought about it more, but weren't any happier.

"It's just how things work. Sometimes… they just…" Gian continued before sighing and running his hand through his hair "Who am I kidding, I miss her too. She brought an atmosphere that you just can't help but enjoy…"

"It really is rather bittersweet…" Zoro agreed as they all had a moment of silence.

"Good job on escaping those marines. It seems like we've made it safely."

"Yeah, well it wasn't exactly really easy- WAIT WHAT?!"

The entire crew was alert at that. Gian ripped Atom Splitter from his shoulders and Zoro drew Wado Ichimonji as well. The last person they'd ever expect was now on their ship.

Miss All-Sunday- Nico Robin- was standing with a smile on her lips by the door.

* * *

 _Meanwhile:_

Tashigi was not a happy person right now.

Above deck, Hina and Smoker were arguing over what the plan for the Straw Hats were. Normally she'd join in on that, but she has too much on her mind at the moment.

Everything is over, Crocodile was defeated and arrested, and everything should be good now.

So why was it that she found nothing to celebrate to?

A few stray tears fell down her face. She has spent the last few hours crying, not out of sadness, but of anger. Anger at her weakness, at her inability in this mission.

She had failed to save the king from Crocodile, even sustaining injury because of it. Crocodile had taunted her, mocking how their Justice won't save anyone.

And in particular, she had the chance to arrest all the Straw Hats right then and there, while they were passed out in the street. One word, that's all it would've taken.

So why didn't she do it?

Captain Smoker had once told her that she should practice her own vision of justice, on what she believes in. But that justice… had it let those pirates get away.

No, it was because she was too weak.

" _I'm going to get stronger… I must!"_

* **purupurupurupurupuru**

The sound of the Transponder Snail brought her out of her thoughts, which she hastily answered.

"H-hello, this is Master Chief Petty Officer Tashigi of Captain Smoker's-"

" _Hello, Little Bird. It's great to hear your voice again."_

Tashigi's breath hitched. He was right, it has been a long time since they've seen each other. Their separate duties have always made communication between the two few and far between, but when they do get the chance they relish it whenever they could.

"G-Gideon…?"

" _Yup, me! Sorry about not calling in earlier, they really didn't let me out of base for a while and now I finally get to leave!"_

"T-that's fine! D-Do you want to speak with Smoker-san?"

"… _Never would've thought you were a telepath… Well, yeah. I do have something I have to talk to him about. But that can wait, I'm sure it will still be important when I go and see you in a short bit."_

"I don't think that's- wait, you're coming?! Here?"

Tashigi almost dropped the snail when waves started crashing against the ship as the sea close to her began to churn…

 **A/N: And thus, the Alabasta Arc comes to an end.**

 **It really had been quite a journey. This arc is now officially the longest, beating out the previous holder of that title, the Arlong Park arc, by 2 whole chapters. And it had just been over a year ago that I've started this. This story now officially has over 300 reviews, the support we've gotten is tremendous. So truly, thank you all for sticking with us.**

 **Next chapter will officially begin the Sky Island Saga. With the start of the Jaya Arc, we are roughly half way done pre-timeskip stuff. I will, however mention that after Skypiea, we won't go straight to Long Ring Long Island, but instead there will be a small filler arc that, wait for it, is a completely original arc! That's right! The first original arc of the story will take place after Skypiea, so look forwards to that! As for next time, it will have more to do with Kaiju lore, as at this point, mentions of them will begin to pop up more in the story.**

 **Responses to reviews:**

 **To Girlbook: Well… you aren't wrong…**

 **G: Ohhh on the mark…**

 **T: I suppose it would be rather predictable**

 **0.5: Now the question is, does this kill all the hype?**

 **Probably not, they don't know exactly how the story will go at that part.**

 **To Chance Green G King:**

 **Yes, there is a Kaiju-Zoan user under Blackbeard's crew, though you won't see him in Jaya, but you will at Marineford.**

 **All the Robin reactions will happen next chapter!**

 **To JayH120:**

 **G: WE WILL NEVER SLEEP CUZ SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK.**

 **Watch… he's gonna fall in 2 seconds.**

 **To anquan16:**

 **G: Meh, he's a grown man it's natural-**

 **That sounds really beta**

 **G: -And then I'll throw him off the ship**

… **I stand corrected, but don't do that. Please.**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **Indeed, his time has ended, but I hope he made an impact.**

 **And as you will see, the effects of Kaiju will start to show up more.**

 **0.5: I remember one of those people did taste like Dr. Pepper…**

 **G: Wait, how does that work?**

 **More importantly, what is Dr. Pepper doing in the One Piece universe?!**

 **To Matt:**

 **That is right, Mr. 0.5's Kaiju is Baragon.**

 **The internal conflict part will gradually build up, but it hasn't to the point where it warrants a struggle yet. There will however be a point when that topic is brought up by Gian, which may or may not set off a motion on its own.**

 **As for CP9, yes they have their own Kaiju-Zoan user but it isn't any of the ones you mentioned. Thriller Bark will not have a Kaiju-Zoan user, but have a Kaiju related foe, which you could probably guess come next chapter.**

 **And as for Impel Down, I can't see how Gian would somehow be able to sneak in so I don't know if I will do Impel Down arc at all. There will be mentions of it, naturally. As for Hedorah, I'm still in the planning stages for it, now just need somewhere where it can end up.**

 **To Lucas FTW:**

 **G: what even is that?**

 **T: I don't know, seemed to be some kind of ancient language…**

 **0.5: or it could be gibberish**

 **Wait… this looks like Spanish… imma translate it and- Wow.**

 **G: What?**

 **We… We got Rickrolled…**

 **T: What's that?**

 **G: If I remember correctly it's based off of some popular song.**

 **But more than that… we got Rickrolled… in SPANISH.**

 **0.5: is… is that bad?**

 **No… I can't even be mad at this… well played.**

 **And that's all for that! we'll see you next time!**

 **Leave a review for the 3 Kaiju-Zoan users to make a mixtape!**

 **G: you know it will be heat!**

 **T: I get featured!**

 **0.5: I write half the tracks!**


	44. History Shows Again and Again

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Opening for the Jaya Arc: SHUFFLE (Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters OP. 2)**

 ** _(The guitar rip in the beginning shows multiple fruits raining down as the title appears, backed by silhouettes of Kaiju, some we've seen before, most we've haven't)_**

 _"Koerarenai, ira ira suru" Hâdoru wo kowashita tte_

 _ **(The scene shows the Straw Hat Pirates and their various backgrounds, as all of them are highlighted, except for Gian, the scene paused on him.)**_ **  
** _Nan ni mo kotae wa denai shi_

 **(** _ **A cutaway of Gian appears, which gradually became replaced by his Full Transformation, before both lift their heads)**_ **  
** _Ayatsurareteru no ka? (On the field) dare mo ga_

 _ **(Another cutaway, to show a massive pillar of water lift the Going Merry out of the water.)**_ **  
** _Obiezu ni (go away) demo..._

 **(** _ **A scene shows that the Straw Hats are prepared to enter what's to come)**_ **  
** _Mienai ashita no michi Erabu koto wa dekinai ka mo shirenai_

 _ **(Luffy is shown going up against Bellamy, as the latter began to bounce around due to his Devil Fruit Power. Flashes of what appears to be events leading up to that confrontation could be seen.)**_ **  
** _Me wo tojite kokoro de kiru Just like cards kitto_

 _ **(The scene then shifts to Robin with flower petals floating around her, reaching out for something unseen, as Gian is shown with his back to hers as he also is looking up towards something.)**_ **  
** _Yakusoku sareta yes! You are the winner_

 _ **(The scene then cuts to a group of people intent on capturing the Straw Hats, as Marshall D. Teach grins as darkness washes over the screen)**_ **  
** _Never lose kokoro de kiru_ _Just like cards kitto_

 _ **(Montblac Cricket is then looking intently at the ship that is travelling up the ocean pillar before flashing a smile)**_ **  
** _Kiseki ga okoru kara_

 **(** _ **The final scene shows the Going Merry breaking out of the clouds, and entering a brand new world that is suspended in the sky, as lightning began to crack in the distance, illuminating a large shadow of a flying creature…)**_

* * *

 **And let's get started:**

 _Aboard the Merry:_

There are times, this being one of them, when Gian felt really stupid.

"So, let me get this straight… _Nobody_ thought of checking the ship over for any stowaways when we casted off?"

"No… this has never happened to us before!" Usopp grumbled "And besides, you didn't check either!"

"Exactly! That's why I'm mad right now! Such an oversight shouldn't have happened!"

"Aren't those my clothes?!" Nami realized. Indeed, Robin had now changed out of her cowgirl clothing, now wearing a plain purple shirt and pants.

"More importantly… why is she on the ship?!" Zoro snapped. Wado Ichimonji was still pointed at her.

Robin smiled "I really do not like weapons pointed at me… but if you want to know, I've been here since the day you defeated Baroque Works. I've been on the ship ever since."

"Ok… but, like, nobody saw you? Not one person saw you board the ship with a sheep's figurehead and figured something was up?" Gian still couldn't believe this.

" _Although… Chaser did mention that she has a 79 million beri bounty… and considering she hasn't been caught yet means she must be good at hiding… still, how did no one see her?"_

"You act like that's something to be surprised over, 'Beast Warrior', considering you indirectly had a cause to that." Robin broke him out of his thoughts.

"I'm just saying that- wait… Me? What do I have to do with this?"

"So you've forgotten what you did already… you were so forceful back then." She meant it in a different way, but a certain someone interpreted it differently.

"YOU SHITTY MONSTER, WHAT DID YOU DO TO THE BEAUTIFUL LADY?!" Sanji yelled as he began shaking the Kaiju-Zoan user back and forth, much to his displeasure.

"Let go of me! All I did was carry her out of a collapsing tomb, get off my back!" Gian snapped.

"Ah, so you remember, then you have to take responsibility then." Robin said.

"…For what?"

"In the moment when I wished to die, you forced me to live. Now I have nowhere else to go, so this is the option I've settled upon" Robin recalled before dropping the bomb.

"Let me join your crew."

* * *

Silence greeted her as everyone stared at her bug-eyed.

"You… want to join our crew… the partner of a pirate that tried to kill us now wants to be a part of us…" Gian mumbled "I'm sorry… _WHAT?!_ "

"It's a simple statement, not very hard to comprehend." Robin shrugged.

"No, I heard you fine. Doesn't make it any less stupid though."

"You must be crazy if you think we're going to let you on this ship!" Nami demanded demanded.

"Yeah, and besides even if I had no problem with it, I don't get to make that choice." Gian shrugged "So, you'd have to ask Luffy, and he's pretty strict when it comes to who could join."

"Hmm… so you're saying you don't have anywhere else to go?" Luffy asked "Ok, sure you can join us."

"See? Told you that- wait, WHY?!" Oh, Luffy.

"Luffy! What are you thinking?!" the rest of the crew- minus Sanji, who was elated- were flabbergasted.

"Did not see that coming…" Gian mumbled.

"You brought this upon yourself…" Zoro snorted.

* * *

Soon Robin was sitting at one of the tables, Usopp directly in front of her.

"All right! If you want to be a part of us, then I need you to cooperate 100%! Answer all of these questions truthfully or else!" the sniper informed her and began his interrogation.

"First off, what is your full name?"

"Nico Robin."

"Occupation?"

"I'm an archeologist."

"Hmm, pretty interesting career path…"

"I'm actually descended from a long line of archeologists. I became an archeologist when I was 8, then I became wanted by the World Government. For the last 20 years I've been on the run and in hiding most of the time." The woman answered smoothly.

"Oh, were you all alone?"

"Not exactly. To remain hidden I had to work with quite a number of shady characters. They ensured my survival, as well as so I could further reach my goal."

"And was Crocodile one of those people?"

"He is. To find the Rio Poneglyph I resorted to his protection for a while. I would say being a member of Baroque Works gives me a lot of experience that could be beneficial to you all."

"Hmm, you're quite confident in yourself! What would you say your specialty is?"

Robin smiled at that and gave one answer: "Assassinations."

"LUFFY! FROM MY INTERVIEW I'VE DETERMINED THAT THIS WOMAN IS TOO DANGEROUS TO KEEP AROUND! WE SHOULD- ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!" Unfortunately the Captain, along with Chopper, was too busy distracted by a stray hand courtesy of the archeologist. Usopp's terrified warning went ignored.

* * *

"You can make hands appear out of thin air?" Gian asked.

"Other body parts too. The **Hana Hana no Mi** has been rather helpful for me these past few years."

The sound of Nami's foot slamming against the rails were then heard. They all looked up to see the ginger girl glaring at the older woman.

"You are all so pathetic… letting her step over you like that! Don't forget that she used to be the vice-president of a criminal organization. You may have Luffy fooled, but I'll be keeping my eye on you. Any funny business and I'm kicking you off the ship, got it?" Nami snapped with assertion.

Robin smiled softly "You don't have to worry about that, I hear you loud and clear. By the way…" she then produced a rather large sack, the contents spilling out to reveal a hefty load of jewelry.

"…Before I left, I managed to snatch some of Crocodile's treasure. Would you like to take them off me?" and just like that, the navigator flipped sides.

"OH, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH ONEE-SAMA!"

"Oi, Oi, Oi, Oi…" the remaining 3 men gave a deadpan expression towards the scene.

* * *

"She brought over Nami too…" Usopp hissed.

"I'm almost ready to throw in the towel… she's too good at this…" Gian sighed.

"There's still 3 of us… we'll keep watching her." Zoro assured him.

"3? What about-?"

"Ahhh… love…"

"…Right… I forgot…"

The sight of Sanji sliding down the rails towards the archeologist is something the 3 would rather not witness, but here it was in front of them. The blond cook had a small chocolate cake and a cup of coffee in his hands as he danced around the table.

"I am but mere driftwood, floating in the endless sea, stuck by the sight of your beauty and flowing in your direction!" The cook swooned as he pirouetted around the table to deliver his treat "Here is your snack!"

"Oh, thank you kindly."

"Yeah… he was lost cause from the beginning." Usopp grimaced.

"I did not need to see that…" Gian frowned.

* * *

"Then it seems this is the case!" Zoro declared as his stare hardened.

"That's right, we 3 are the remaining bastions against this femme fatale!" Usopp and Gian stood with him "We will remain vigilant as-"

"Hey, Usopp!" that was short lived, as Usopp turned to see what Luffy wanted and was greeted by a sight he should not have seen.

"CHOPPER!" with two hands on his hat to mimic the antlers, Usopp fell to her spell as well as he joined the 2 children in fits of uproarious laughter, much to the chagrin of Zoro.

"…That didn't work…" Gian sighed "Oh well… guess I'll go greet the locals."

 _Meanwhile:_

A Marine ship alone is already many times more imposing than most other ships. Decked out with cannons, massive sails. They are to search the seas for any signs of criminal activity. The image of justice engraved on their flags are a sign to all piracy that they will not be tolerated.

Then, there are people who take it one step further, or too far even.

Tashigi has seen the ship before, but it's over the top design still never fails to intrigue her. Maybe it's because it's something memorable, but the ship that just emerged beside Captain Smoker's was something beyond that.

Mostly because it didn't resemble a Marine Ship to begin with.

* * *

The vessel looked more akin to a submarine than a ship, which isn't surprising considering its main feature is being able to travel underwater. Its torpedo shaped design makes it much longer than the one she is on. She has heard of it before; its name is one that is only heard in the thickest of confrontations against criminals of the sea, but one that rings infamy across those who've survived it:

Gotengo, a prototype battleship of the World Government. It is the only one of its kind, and only one person commanded it.

* * *

The massive ship was one that is more suited for war than anything else. Three massive deck cannons were in front of the main platform. Beneath its black metallic alloy hull lies multiple artillery units; missile launchers particle beam cannons, you name it. The most visible feature was its massive bow drill, a corkscrewed block of metal that jutted out from the front of the ship and made it all the more intimidating. It was a mechanical marvel, so much so that the cost to construct it was astronomical. Thus, only one was ever built, and only one was ever needed. The few times this monolith was brought upon a battlefield, it almost always ended in the complete destruction of the opposing side.

A side door atop the massive vessel opened up. The door opened to reveal 2 men, one a muscular, tall figure in a trench coat with a serious demeanor and a thick mustache. A katana hung near his belt, along with a flintlock shotgun.

The other man was much older, with a slightly cut beard. His choice of attire was that of an open vest, showing off a large star-shaped scar on his chest. The cool steel of his right arm gleamed as it twitched with a mechanical noise. He had lost his arm in a particular incident years ago, and the mechanical replacement served as a reminder of what forces he may come across.

Tashigi saluted when he saw the two men, who responded in kind.

"Gordon-Taisa, Horace-Junsho."

"Good to see you are still kicking, Tashigi. Is Smoker around?" Gordon asked.

"Yes… he should be here shortly." She looked around a bit, as if waiting for someone. After all, the true owner of the Gotengo has not exited yet.

Although Captain Douglas Gordon was the captain of the ship, he himself serves under a higher power, thus placing the Gotengo in the ownership of another. There are times when he notes, much to his chagrin, that the owner treats this ship much more like a joyride, but the captain of the Gotengo never complains too much.

"He'll be present soon." On the other hand, Commodore Horace is the direct subordinate to the owner. And just like he said, footsteps were heard as the third figure stepped up. Tashigi's heart leapt slightly when he came into view.

"I've longed to see you again, Little Bird." Vice Admiral Gideon gave a soft smile. Despite his young age, the prestigious officer held a secret that the Marines both respect and fears. Although he'd much prefer not to unleash his power on a whim, in recent times he is required to use it more.

"Gideon!" the girl cried before the two embraced. She really had missed him; although their relationship wasn't exactly a private one, the two are rarely seen together due to their opposite duties. When they do have time together they try to spend whatever time they have left in each other's company.

"I heard everything from the report… it must've been tough for you these few days."

"It's… fine. I can handle it…" Tashigi mumbled "It's just that… after all I've done… I'm still so…"

Gideon raised a hand and softly brought her head up to look into her eyes "The fact that you acknowledge what you're lacking is already a sign of strength… that alone puts you ahead of some other people."

"…Like who?" Tashigi pouted.

"Hey, you know I don't like to gossip." Gideon teased "The point I'm trying to make is that you realized where you need to improve on, and that will allow you to get stronger as time goes by, so as long as you focus on your weakness."

Tashigi smiled up at him. This was one of the reasons why she liked him so much. Despite his porcelain appearance giving him that of a pampered prince, he is realistic, always knowing the struggles she seem to face, and never patronizing. To this end she simply leaned further into his chest. She never understood the Vice-Admiral's preference for the color gold, but it felt so welcoming now.

The two just stood there for a while, enjoying the feeling of each other's embrace, until a light cough interrupted them and they hastily broke apart.

"It has been some time since Hina last saw you" Hina greeted "How have you been, Gideon-kun?"

"Ah, you know what the Gensui does to me, Hina-senpai" Gideon grinned back "Always keeping me cooped up."

"What are you doing here, kid?" Smoker demanded.

"Wow, no small talk at all huh?" Gideon shrugged "Well, if that's what you want to know, I do have something important to talk to you. Doug, Horace, do wait back in the ship." the two older men nodded and returned. Gideon then produced 3 sheets of paper.

"I do believe you know what these are…"

 _Meanwhile:_

"So, you mentioned you wanted to ask me something?" Robin asked as she looked out to sea. By now, everyone more or less have accepted the fact that she was going to be travelling with them. Zoro was still suspicious of course, and made no secret of it, but for the most part she was tolerated.

"I didn't wanted to talk about it in front of the crew, but I think you know what I want to hear." Gian sighed; before he figured he'd run into her somewhere again on the Grand Line, but he never would've expected to be able to talk about it this soon.

"Still seeking answers to things you have no control over?" Robin pointed out.

"Whether I can control what happens or not is for me to decide. Just tell me what you know."

"I believe we should start by looking at what concern it is that you have. Did you hear something about Kaiju-Zoans that surprised you?"

"You don't say? This, like all of this, are things that I've never even heard of before. Triton-senpai never bothered to tell me, of course I never asked but I was never worried about it until now!" Gian sighed with exasperation "Then you come along and reveal all this… history… like the Kaiju-Zoan Fruit that I received is something much bigger than what I originally thought? I just don't understand anything!"

Gian closed his eyes before speaking again.

"Before he died… Mr. 0.5 told me about… what I could become… that isn't true… is it?"

Robin looked at him for a while, before finally responding.

"What Mr. 0.5 said is only one possible path of what a future your Kaiju-Zoan could hold. However, what is certain is that Kaiju are beginning to appear in history once more. What was once a tall-tale passed off as a myth will now resurface in the form of the Devil Fruit that you carry. You are one of many that have popped up in recent history, and you will not be the last."

"So, do you know how they came to be? How the Kaiju-Zoan fruits appeared in the first place?"

"That, I do not know." Robin responded.

"…You're kidding…"

"The thing about archeologists, is that they are continuously making new discoveries, furthering their knowledge. What little I know of Kaiju and Kaiju-Zoans are from an external source as well. I am still looking into the matter and it is quite interesting."

"So much for expecting answers…" Gian grumbled.

"I can, however, offer you this much solace." Robin told him before producing a small book from her back "This book contains a brief history of Kaiju, what you want to know may be illustrated here. This is one of the only pieces of evidence that Kaiju once existed, perrhaps you can find use for it." And with that, she walked off, leaving Gian no more enlightened than he was prior to this.

"…I should've left you in the tomb…" Gian grumbled as he went below deck to his room. Here he finally got a good look at the book.

"" _Men among Monsters"_ by some guy named Steve Martin…" Gian read "Let's see what you've got…?"

 _Meanwhile:_

"I suppose first order of business… I should congratulate both of you. I know you may not approve of this, but it happened and there's not much I could do about it." Gideon proposed.

"If it's about the bullshit promotion I got then you can tell Sengoku and the old geezers of The Gorosei that they can shove their offer up-" Smoker growled. He was already against the idea of this move; when Marine HQ finally got wind of what really happened in Alabasta, to say that they were shocked would be an understatement. Some rookie pirate, who just left East Blue mere weeks ago, managed to topple one of the Royal Shichibukai. Naturally news of this could not be allowed to get out to the public; what would they think when their own marines couldn't handle a situation like this but a group of ragtag pirates could? So they made a sensible decision in their minds: giving Smoker the credit of Crocodile's arrest, as well as handily promoting him to Commodore, alongside a promotion to Ensign for Tashigi.

There's just one problem: Smoker absolutely would not have it. He even had a few choice words for those who bore the news.

"I figured as much…" Gideon sighed "Look, I know you're upset, but think of what could come of this! As a Commodore, there are things you can do now that. If you want to go after the Straw Hats now, you now get more leeway to-"

"I would do that regardless. Don't try to convince me, you're a couple years too young!" Smoker snarled.

"Sorry, Gideon, but I agree." Tashigi mumbled "What the higher ups did here was unjust."

"Tashigi…"

"Don't bother with them, Hina has been trying to convince them all day yesterday, they're not going to change his mind." The pink haired captain sighed.

"Of course, I never expected them to…" Gideon then got serious "But that isn't what I wanted to say today. I assume you've read the posters already."

The resulting battle in Alabasta resulted in higher bounties for some members of the Straw Hats. Luffy's previous 30 million has now increased to a whopping 100 million. Gian's own bounty had increased from 16.5 million to 97.3 million. The newest addition of Zoro, who now had a 60 million bounty.

"Yes, what about them? Straw Hat's increase is natural considering he essentially threatened the natural order when he defeated Crocodile, and 'Pirate Hunter' Roronoa Zoro's victory over Daz Bones, a former bounty hunter in North Blue is also reason enough."

"I don't care about them, I'm talking about 'Beast Warrior'." Gideon informed him.

"Gian? What about him? He also defeated one of Baroque Works' high ranking officers, killed him even." Smoker growled "'Hunter Killer' Betrugus was an infamous serial killer to begin with, so defeating-"

"Hold on, _Gian?_ You know him by name?" Gideon perked up.

"He used to visit Loguetown with his brothers every once in a while. You can say we were acquainted in the past. None of that mattes now, he is a pirate and I intend to treat him as such."

"I see, well I don't care much about what you used to do together. Except for one thing." Gideon's face was set in stone "Is 'Beast Warrior' Gian a Kaiju-Zoan user?"

Silence crept over the ship.

"Is this about that stupid tall-tale that-?" Smoker started, but Gideon was not in the mood.

"Cut the crap, Smoker-senpai. You're better than this." Gideon sighed "The others back at HQ had been skirting around the issue whenever I bring it up. I'd figured you were more serious about this so I came to you. Now is he one or not?"

Smoker looked at him for a while, before closing his eyes.

"I have seen his power once before the events of Alabasta. It was not a Full Transformation, but he does possess a Kaiju-Zoan."

"I thought so…" Gideon mumbled "Guess I was right all along. There was always something not right about how a regular pirate could take down a supersized lobster, but I let that slide. Now, with eye witnesses saying reporting of two monstrous beasts appearing in Alabasta, those fools at HQ are finally beginning to admit that I might be right."

"So what if he is?" Smoker asked "You've never been one to purposely pursue certain people before, so why the sudden interest now?"

"I didn't want to believe it at first." Gideon looked at him for a bit "But all these recent events… All the appearances in the past few years… it is beginning to look like he was right after all.

"The words of your former mentor? Do not forget that he-"

"Don't remind me, I haven't forgotten. Even so, he was the one that told me all that he knows about this. Considering the World Government already makes it hard enough to get information on the subject, his word is as good as gold, or at least silver."

"Information on the subject is kept secret for a reason, that's no reason to-" Smoker began before the Vice Admiral cut him off again.

"I know what you are going to say, but the more they try to hide those things, the more things will leak out eventually. In the past 150 years, Kaiju-Zoan users have been popping up continuously at increasing rates… don't forget… I'm one of them." Gideon pointed out

"Which brings us back full circle. By the way…I may have told you this before, but do you know how long, according to sources worldwide, that Kaiju have been known to the world?"

"Didn't take…" Smoker sighed. This was going to take a while.

"Then, I suppose you need a history lesson then. What I'm about to tell you took me around 4 years to look into, and believe me, I'm still only scratching the surface."

 _Meanwhile:_

It certainly was not like anything else he's read before.

The contents of the book was more of a diary or a journal rather than a full-fledged book. It was also old, approximately over 160 years of age, but it still contained some valuable information though it's clear that it is still incomplete. What it did manage was show Gian that, throughout the world, Kaiju have in one way or another made themselves known to humanity.

Whoever this Steve Martin is, he had a way to pull people in.

Through his readings, Gian managed to find a few points that were particularly of interest.

" _My first look into these mysterious beasts were through the prattling of a supposed madman. The locals pointed me to a local hermit, living outside of town. He spin me a tale of a land that once plagued by giant insects, which hunted the people that lived nearby. Then, one day, a pair of flying beasts, akin to giant birds with no feathers with wings that caused gale force winds, emerged from the sky and set up a roost. From that point on, they waged war against those insects, driving them all underground. Though the two beasts perished in a final battle, their offspring was soon born and continued their legacy._

 _Such a tale naturally proved to be disbelieved, and the locals rarely associated with him. The man doesn't seem to care, however, and told his story in earnest. According to him, those events took place about 500 years ago. I paid him little mind, but little did I know, this would only be the first time I would hear of such things."_

* * *

"Can't say I'd blame him, hearing a story about giant flying monsters is a story that no one would believe." Gian mused before turning the page.

* * *

" _It was when, during my exploration upon the seas, that I lost my way. The ship that I was on had sailed into a storm, and the next thing I knew I was lying down on a beach somewhere. The ship's crew said it'll take about a week to fix their vessel, so wait I must._

 _It was only then that I realized that I was not alone on the island. There were others, primitive looking people that you'd associate with savages. Initially cautious, they soon realized that I meant no harm and left me to my own._

 _Through my mingling with the locals, I realized that this is an island that is practically unknown to the rest of the world; I may be the only person to have been on here. The indigenous people, though unable to communicate with the rest of us, have made a comtemporary society within their confines. But that was only the beginning._

 _These people have been seen to worship a certain deity, at least that's what it seems like. It was a crude piece of artwork, but I could just make out the features that was similar to a man's. Further observations indicated it was some form of primate, most likely an ape around the looks of a gorilla. But we've looked throughout the island, no signs of any gorillas around here, and this particular one was massive…_

 _Could this be a similar vein to the giant flying creatures I've heard before? It was a question that plagued me even as we left the island."_

* * *

"An island where they supposedly worshipped a monster… if that's the case then the Kaiju were more than just monsters to people…" Gian thought to himself. The next page would prove familiar to him.

* * *

" _My journey took me to the land of Elbaf, land of Giants. These large brutes still retained so much traditions; did you know they have a 12 day fast every winter? However, they were an honorable group of people, with a warrior's pride and honor. It was rare for them to see humans, and it made sense, considering what I was about to witness._

 _The elders of the Giants spoke of stories, old legends of powerful warriors from Elbaf. Their names have been immortalized within the stars. But what was even more surprising was when they brought up the tales of Kaiju, giant beasts that used to roam the land and seas for millennia before the modern world._

 _It would seem like that is the official terminology to those giant monsters I've heard before, but what's even more intriguing was that, not only have these Giants witnessed them, they've even fought them in direct combat. To them, to face one in combat is an utmost honor. According to them, the Kaiju recognize a worthy opponent, and when battle is done, they fight with a force that could rip mountains from their roots._

 _They even have names for some of them. The most well-known of them seemed to be a creature known as 'Gojira'. Supposedly this was a massive reptilian beast, in the shape of a carnivorous dinosaur, with a forest of maple leaf shaped dorsal fins on its back. Its raw power is nigh unparalleled, its roar can split the skies and it's fiery breath can burn the oceans. Despite this, the Giants claim that 'Gojira' was a being that normally minded its own business, only fighting when it's angered or seeking a challenge. One of the younger louts, a giant named Jorl, claimed that his great-grandfather had fought Gojira and lived to tell the tale. The accuracy of such a grand tale is to be debated, though one things is for certain: I would not wish to meet this 'Gojira' face to face._

* * *

"Elbaf… that's where Dorry-san and Brogy-san are from." Gian realized "They were right… Kaiju really have appeared to them before! Now I really have to go there… And this 'Gojira…' the description is almost spot for spot with my Full Transformation…" the next page proved even more familiar to him.

* * *

" _It was through my visit to the desert Kingdom of Alabasta did I first learn of these creatures have even interacted with the civilized world. I learned of this after a dinner party with the king, let's just keep it a secret that I am quite the diplomat. It was at this dinner that I got knowledge of what's next._

 _The following is a supposed secret that only the Heads of the House of Nefertari has known, so I'm probably shouldn't be writing about this. But this is too big of a discovery to not detail. Within their Grave of Kings, there exists a historical records since Alabasta's founding. And one of the biggest things they've told me was the existence of Kaiju._

 _According to His Majesty, these beasts have existed long before Alabasta was even formed. Even as the kingdom was rising out of the Oasis that birthed the city of Alubarna has those colossal creatures already roamed the land._

 _It was only after the Kingdom's formation did these events become more. Though it was only word of mouth, so the eligibility of such a tale is questionable, the King stated that Kaiju have both defended the Kingdom, and desecrated it in the past. And once again, the one name that stood out was 'Gojira'. There were other monsters as well, but Gojira seemed to have taken center stage. The records seem to describe the great beast in wonder, but also fear. It seemed that the creature is one to be admired, yet watched out for._

 _Even a Founding Kingdom of the World Government has records of these Kaiju, yet why is it wherever else I look, I've come up with nothing. Information on the subject is few and far between, it's as if the World Government has purposely been censoring knowledge of the matter. However, as it seems, they've left some of it out, mostly from places independent from the World Government, but nonetheless it is there. This only further increases on what I need to know, there are so many questions that are unanswered. Why have the Kaiju not more well-known through the world? And more importantly, why is this 'Gojira' such a prominent figure?_

* * *

"It's just as Cobra-sama said… Alabasta has known of the Kaiju… and from the looks of it, they aren't the only ones that know."

* * *

" _More of these mysterious beasts have appeared to us again, and once again from a Kingdom of the World Government. My searching have alerted the Riku Family of Dressrosa Kingdom, and they have reached out to me with claims of more information. Throughout this time, my secret project has more or less attracted attention from the World Government. I was able to get past them but it would seem like this could be the last time I ever write about the subject of Kaiju, for my own safety I have to stop._

 _What the Riku Family has told me were more things, between things I've already have knowledge of, and new information. Dressrosa is already a place of folklore, with fairies and dwarves abound, but their stories of Kaiju are more of a myth than anything else, and it seems they've existed far longer, even from before the Donquixote Family's departure to the Holy Land. Once again, the general public seems to have no knowledge of this._

 _Reactions from the Royal Family was similar to those of the Nefertari Family. This time, there were even more monsters within the lore. Gojira had appeared again… but also the Winged Beasts from the Hermit's story, along with a few new faces: a four legged beast with a spiked back, a lion that was born in stone… it was mystifying._

 _I now have a much deeper understanding of this; there was something that the World Government was hiding, that they don't want the world to know about these monsters. Perhaps it is for the best. From descriptions, these creatures can be hostile, extremely so. The world would be a better place without them… but that can't be right. These monsters couldn't possibly exist, can they?_

* * *

Normally Gian would have a retort for the ironic statement near the end of that page, but his mind was not on that. Instead, he was focused on the words "Riku Family" and "Dressrosa".

" _Those names… I feel like I've heard them before… but where?_

He shook it off; probably just from a story book somewhere. He instead chose to turn the page and continue reading. This Steve Martin certainly has been to lots of places, with tales of Kaiju being more extravagant than the next. One tells of a pair of moths that guarded over life, only to have battled over whether the existence of humans were a boon to the planet or not. Another tells of a legend of a lost kingdom that had artificially created a winged bat-like creature… only to have it reproduce to the point where it overwhelmed the city entirely and would've threatened all life had its people not manually destroyed the city in the process, sacrificing themselves in the process. Other pages, however, were either very obscure in detail or completely gone, with faded words and torn pages, so he had to make do with the existing ones. These tales were almost fanatical; they shouldn't have been real, but Gian can't help but think that they have a grain of truth to them.

It was only the next chapter when he realized just how close to home this book is. The date was set exactly 150 years ago, and it was something he did not expect to see.

* * *

" _The unthinkable happened._

 _I had only thought that those creatures I've heard were mere legends, told as a form of story of old, or at the very least an extinct species of animal. What I have seen today has proven it all wrong._

 _The Kaiju were real, very real. And although they are no longer with us physically, they will return to us one day. And He is only just the beginning._

 _For the last year or so, the world birthed a new monster. One that has both the mentality of a man and the strength and fury of a monster. The World Government calls him as the 'King of Monsters', but his real name is Grendolas._

 _No one knew where he came from, or why he came to be. But through some divine joke, he was granted the most unholy of power._

 _He can take on the form of 'Gojira' the monster from my previous entries. Only this time, he is no legend._

 _And it's from here that I realize, I have been way off on what I expected a monster to be._

 _Grendolas is unkillable, nigh indestructible. Everything the World Government throws at him, be it scores of Marines, Cipher Pol agents, Buster Call Ships, he's decimated them. In his monstrous form, he's torn the world asunder as he rises, entire islands destroyed, entire countries demolished. Yet no one knows what his motives are, or if he even has any._

 _But that will change today. I've had the pleasure of meeting two fine gentlemen. Their names are Akira Otoshi and Doctor Daisuke Serizawa, and if sources proved correct, they may have something that can stop this monster once and for all!"_

* * *

"A Kaiju-Zoan user… This man is the first Kaiju-Zoan user!" Gian was astonished, not by how shocking the news was, but by how recent it claims to be. The history of Kaiju-Zoans apparently only had a history of 150 years, but it seems that, like the Kaiju themselves, very little is known about them.

He turned a page and continued to read.

* * *

" _The two men have a secret weapon, a weapon that could potentially change the world. It was from the mind of Serizawa did this destructive creation come to life. It is dubbed the Oxygen Destroyer, and while its design is merely a small iron ball cast within a glass cylinder, it makes up for its supposed effects. I still cannot believe that the chemicals stored within was able to turn an entire tank of live fish to a graveyard of skeletons stripped of flesh in mere seconds! This weapon could potentially rival that of one of the Ancient Weapons! Its effects could be catastrophic if used incorrectly. Still, with nothing else working, it may be the only thing that can stop the 'King of Monsters'_

 _There's just one problem: Serizawa-san is unwilling to use it._

 _It was nerve-wracking, even though I can understand where he's coming from. If what he claims the weapon could do is true, then discretion must be taken when using it. Otoshi-kun was livid; lives were at stake here, and if the Oxygen Destroyer was capable of finally putting a stop to Grendolas it could save millions of lives. But Serizawa-san was adamant, a weapon of mass destruction like that, if used incorrectly, could kill more people than the 'King of Monsters' ever could. He had no doubt that, if used, the World Government would try to replicate it, and that could not be allowed to happen._

 _Ultimately, he would need to use it. Grendolas unleashed another attack on a nearby port city. Thousands of lives were lost that day, all under the monster's feet, and once again the Marines were futile to stop him. This time, I was there to witness it, and let me tell you that whatever I imagined Kaiju to be, I was very wrong. The burning city was one that will never leave my head till the day I die._

 _Only then did Serizawa finally relented, but under the condition that he himself will be the one to do it. We finally tracked the Monster down, and my god, in his Monster form he is massive! He must be at least 400 feet tall! The ocean only barely comes up to his knees! It's strange, that when he saw the Doctor sail up to him, he wasn't arrogant, wasn't defiant. Rather, he seemed rather melancholy, as if he knew what is to come, and that he regretted the suffering he had caused and this is his rightful retribution. He did however, incinerate another fleet of Marine ships that had attempted to bombard him._

 _The deed was done quickly, Serizawa-san dove into the water with the Oxygen Destroyer before unleashing it. We didn't see anything, save for the 'King of Monsters' letting out a low groan before sinking beneath the waves, they were both gone in that instant, forever left only in our memories. The menace was gone, so was a great man. But the whole world can wake up and live again._

 _I later found out that Serizawa-san had destroyed all of his research on the superweapon prior to his death, so that it may never be recreated. Otoshi-kun mourned the death of his friend, and he himself never uttered anything about the Oxygen Destroyer, even as the World Government tried to pry anything out of him, he claims to not know anything._

 _Perhaps with the end of Grendolas, the Kaiju will not resurface again._

* * *

"The Goji-Goji no Mi… was the first one… it's the first Kaiju-Zoan…" Gian whispered. His fruit was one that have seen the world burn before, he was just a recipient. Before today, he would've never believed the history within these fruits, but it seems that he still has so much to learn.

" _Was this what Mr. 0.5 meant? That Kaiju-Zoan fruits were, in a way,the Kaiju returning to this world? Then what will the future hold for me?"_

He was about to close the book, when he realize there was one last page…

 _Meanwhile:_

"…Ever since the rise of the King, more and more Kaiju-Zoans have appeared. The World Government may try to hide it as much as possible, be it containment within their ranks or complete extermination, but they cannot deny they are returning." Gideon concluded.

"What I am trying to do now, is understand where I fit into all this. And according to my former Mentor… it's a role that's less than savory."

Smoker sighed. He's heard the story before, but it was something he never believed once.

"The rise of Kaiju-Zoan users have all been common with one thing: they've all been under the thrall of exceptionally powerful individuals or groups, or more specifically those who have the power to rule. Clear examples would be me, working for the Marines and by extension the World Government. Same goes for that individual within the CP9 unit. However, that also extents to other places, with each of the 4 Yonko all possessing a Kaiju-Zoan user. And now, another one has come to us within the newly formed Straw Hat Pirates…" Gideon concluded "And if they continue to advance, his power will eventually grow to surpass that of the 'King'"

"The way I see it, you're letting the words of your mentor affect you way too much. Since the incident, do you really think you can believe what he said?" Smoker asked.

"It isn't something I want to believe, but what has been shown to me is exactly as he's suspected." Gideon sighed "Regardless, this is my offer. 'Beast Warrior' Gian is mine. He will one day meet me in combat. The two dragons will finally clash, as they have done for many generations-"

"'Beast Warrior' Gian and the rest of the Straw Hats are my quarry! They ran out of my city and I will not let them just do as they please!" Smoker snapped.

"Let me reiterate, I don't give a rat's ass about the rest of the crew. Arrest them, hunt them down, do whatever. But 'Beast Warrior' is mine and mine alone." Gideon rebuked.

"You think you can just use your authority to do whatever you wish?! You may be a Vice-Admiral, but we still trained under the same master and I am still your senior, don't forget that!" Smoker barked.

"You don't seem to understand… I'm trying to **help you here! A Kaiju-Zoan is something way beyond your league, so quit while you ahead!"** suddenly the wind began to whip up as Gideon's eyes turned crimson. The dragon headed epaulettes seemed to be shaking as their eyes were flashing gold as well. Smoker stood his ground the sight of the translucent 3 headed monster that flashed behind the Vice-Admiral, and his hand raised towards his Jitte. The rest of the ship were uneasy as well, with Hina's arms turning black as she prepared to use her Devil Fruit power to restrain things if it got out of hands.

But it never led to that, as Tashigi dashed forward and gripped the Vice-Admirals arm "Gideon, Stop it! Don't you know where you are?"

The Vice-admiral closed his eyes and focused, and the wind gradually died down. His breathing was ragged but when he opened his eyes they were normal again.

"It's still so hard to control… it's such a powerful beast… but it's so unrestrained… I'm sorry… I was out of line…"

"…Almost capsized the ship…" Smoker grumbled.

"…Thank you, Tashigi. Your voice is still able to bring me back…" Gideon smiled lightly at the girl.

"I-it's fine… please be careful."

"Anyway, I think I overstayed my welcome here. I will see you again some other time. However, I am certain of one thing: if 'Beast Warrior' Gian is to survive until he faces me, then the world will truly be subjected to cataclysm."

"If that day comes… then we will deal with it." Smoker told him.

"I think that would be for the best. I will take my leave now. I'll be counting the days when I can see you again, Tashigi." Gideon nodded before leaning forward and planting a grazing kiss on the girl's forehead, before boarding the Gotengo as it prepared to sink below the waves again. Tashigi watched him go, hands clasped together in a silent prayer for his safety.

"Arrogant, gold obsessed, son of a- he hasn't changed a bit…" Smoker growled.

"You can't blame him, Smoker-kun" Hina sighed "After all, he is burdened by a creature that can both defend the world… or be its destroyer after all."

 _Underwater:_

"We felt the Aura burst… something happen?" Horace asked the Vice-Admiral as they dove. The Gotengo is capable of travelling 80 knots under the sea, it truly is a technological marvel.

"It's nothing… the beast always leaks out from time to time…" the Vice-Admiral sighed "Even after this long, I still have yet to truly unified myself with it…"

"It is an exceptionally powerful Kaiju, at least isn't that what they say?" Douglas Gordon told him "A monster, akin to a God, is not one to just be casually chained up like that don't you think?"

"I guess."

"Though that's what you told me. I still think the whole notion of Kaiju is nothing more than bollocks that drunk people spew."

"…Is that why you have this ship under your command, Captain?" Gideon teased.

"I could care less what it's for, I'm its captain I use it however I want, even if you technically own it."

"If you ask me, maybe Gideon-san is just frustrated" A young man taking the wheel of the massive ship chirped up in the front "Maybe you and Tashigi-chan should finally do the dirty and let us all celebrate!"

"If I wanted your smart-ass opinion, Ozaki, I would tell you!" Gideon scowled. The man only laughed as he fist bumped another crew member. Shinichi Ozaki was a special case on the Gotengo's crew, and to Gideon, is the only other person aside from Gordon and Horace that know him more personally. Mostly with their age being more similar, Gideon gets along rather well with the man.

As Gideon returned to his room aboard the Gotengo (it was a room he wanted to paint in gold, But Captain Gordon said he would sooner slam the ship onto the seafloor than let that happen), he looked up towards the surface.

" _Our day of reckoning will soon be approaching… the question is, will you be ready?"_

 _Meanwhile:_

" _This may be my last entry._

 _Grendolas wasn't a special case, he was a calling._

 _It was as if he was some sort of beacon for the other Kaiju to rise back up across the waves._

 _It has been 30 years since the incident, I am old now, and since then, other monsters have shown up. One thing is certain: they are all pre-recorded from the legends I've heard before._

 _I may have a theory for this. The phenomenon known as Devil Fruits have been long recorded. Fruit that can give ordinary people powers beyond belief, but takes away their affinity to the water… perhaps the recent surge in monsters have been a similar case: Devil Fruits that can give people power to transform into monsters…_

 _They are like the Zoan class fruits that turn people into animals, but these are no animals, they were ancient behemoths that once roamed the world we live in today. I will christen the name Kaiju-Zoan upon them, and I feel that this may only continue._

 _The World Government has left this information out, why? To stop panic? To ensure that the world never knows the existence of monsters?_

 _But whatever they do is futile, these Kaiju will only keep coming. Grendolas was only the beginning, and others are answering his call._

 _My one wish is for someone to find this book, carry on the study, and carry on finding the truth. I still do not know how Kaiju have become Kaiju-Zoans, and I perhaps never will find the answer. I devoted my life to this book, and now I realized one thing:_

 _This world does not belong to us, it belongs to Them, and one way or another, They're coming to take it back._

* * *

It was short, but ominous. Even Gian was left shell-shocked.

The Kaiju weren't just a species, they were primordial beings that once dominated the world. Humanity only borrowed the world from them, but they will always be its true owners.

" _This is way too much to take in…"_

Gian shook his head, so much has been answered, but many more questions remained. He is still skeptical about everything; it could just be the ravings of a madman, but deep down he wasn't so sure.

"Guess I need to ask Robin about this."

But before he could, the sea around him suddenly began to surge as the Going Merry was shaken left to right.

"What is going on?! A Sea King attack?" he shouted as he burst onto the deck. What he saw made his eyes widen.

A falling ship, falling out of the sky, cracked into pieces as it landed into the ocean.

"…I didn't throw that, I was in my room." Gian mumbled, the rest of the crew was just as shocked as he was.

"How in the world?" Zoro whispered.

"A ship just fell out of the sky!" Luffy gaped.

"A big ship! How did it even get up there?!" Chopper whimpered.

"That's not the only thing, look!" Nami held out her wrist, and the next surprise showed itself.

"The Log Pose… it's pointed up!" indeed the needle of the navigation tool was sticking straight up, suspended within its bubble "it's broken… it's not even moving!"

"That's is not true, Navigator-san." The crew turned to see Robin walk up to them.

"The Log Pose is not broken, but locked onto another magnetic field." She pointed upwards.

"…Up there…?" Nami mumbled.

"Wait… we're not dead are we? We're going to Heaven?!" Gian's eyes widen.

"Don't be stupid! Even if we did die we all know you'd go to Hell, Shitty Monster!" Sanji snapped.

"Yeah… that's tru-HEY!"

"That is not correct, 'Beast Warrior'" Robin explained "The Log Pose is pointing to one place above us."

"And that is?" everyone asked.

"A Sky Island."

 **A/N: and there we have it! The first chapter of the Jaya Arc! Although no events happened here, this chapter is dedicated solely to the expanding of lore that will eventually play a big part in the story. As you can see, Kaiju have played a big role in history, but the world remains relatively ignorant of them. All that, as you can expect, will soon change!**

 **I hope some of you can recognize what I listed within the stories! This chapter also introduced some new characters. Douglas Gordon is inspired by the captain of the Gotengo in Godzilla Final Wars, played by MMA champion Don Frye. Ozaki from the same movie also makes an appearance here. We are also reunited with Gideon, the Vice-Admiral shown in chapter 24, and soon to be rival of our hero.**

 **As for other Godzilla elements, we have the Gotengo, the massive airship from the JSDF that first appeared in a solo film called Atoragon. I used it to mainly make Gideon stand out a bit more, as well as integrate more Godzilla elements here. Veteran Godzilla fans will also recognize the Oxygen Destroyer, the weapon that killed Godzilla in the original 1954 movie. Finally there is Steve Martin, a journalist from the American rerelease of the same movie played by actor Raymond Burr (who's character also shares the name with the actor that is more well-known but how?) I could've used a more original character for his role as the book's author but wanted to use a more familiar face.**

 **Anyway, the next chapter will get into the rest of the Jaya Arc! Hope to see you then!**

 **Responses to Reviews:**

 **To Chance Green G King:**

 **He will know something is coming, but they probably won't have a formal meeting since even meetings with Luffy and Teach are quite rare.**

 **To Lucas FTW:**

 **Oh my…**

 **G: What is it now…?**

 **It's another meme…**

 **T: what is?**

 **You remember that one phase when We are Number One dominated my life?**

 **0.5: Wait… don't tell me…**

 **Yup… this is We are Number One in German…**

 **G: My God…**

 **How… how do you have time to do this?**

 **To anquan16:**

 **G: she's something, that's for sure.**

 **To Alpha Tyrant:**

 **I'm glad you think so.**

 **To JayH120:**

 **You can bet Roger had a Kaiju-Zoan on his crew, in fact if you read the end of Reverse Mountain, Crocus actually talks about them briefly. And well… let's just say you aren't that off from what's gonna happen when they meet Gian.**

 **To Pokemonking0924:**

 **Gideon actually made an appearance at the end of Chapter 24, and his Kaiju is one of the most familiar monsters that Godzilla fans know.**

 **To omegadramon2:**

 **Definitely not Mothra, she'll have a different role.**

 **To Matt:**

 **That's what I plan to do with my update schedule, if my job doesn't take too much time.**

 **I do agree with that bit about Hedorah though.**

 **To Taser101:**

 **Glad you like it. The question on whether I write the moves in English or Japanese is something I've had for a bit. I ultimately decided on putting Japanese, because it's more familiar to me, and also they generally sound better than the English version (Oni Giri sounds indefinitely better than Demon Slice, no offense). However, Kaiju-Zoan moves are mostly in english, mostly because my lazy ass is too lazy to translate them!**

 **And that's that! Hope to see you all next time!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will help me get Sentai Genji!**

 **G: I can't help you with RNGesus…**

 **T: At least He's leaving us out of it this time…**

 **0.5: what if I told him I have the skin already?**


	45. Mock Town

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Opening for the Jaya Arc: SHUFFLE (Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters OP. 2)**

"Umm… She didn't just say what I think she just said, did she?" Gian murmured.

"She said Sky Island…" Zoro nodded.

"But that's impossible is it? An island in the sky?" Nami whispered.

"That sounds cool!" Luffy had stars in the sky.

"But that shouldn't be plausible… for something to float, it has to have its own center of gravity that is enough to repel the one down below… how does an island have enough to do that?" Gian asked.

Robin looked at everyone "That's not quite it. The island isn't exactly suspended in the air by gravity, but rather it exists in a sea among the clouds."

"If it's any consolidation, I've only heard of this in stories myself. Never have I've seen one on its own.

"Well if it is up there… we'd have to go up to reset the Log Pose, don't we?" Usopp mumbled.

"There's no way! The Log Pose has to be broken!" Nami protested. The idea of an island in the sky was simply too farfetched, and who could blame her?

"Have you ever heard of a Log Pose breaking before, Navigator-san?" Robin inquired, then smiled softly when Nami couldn't answer that.

"Well, even if there's a Sky Island, how are we supposed to get up there?" Gian asked.

"Now that… is a question I have no answer to." What did he expect?

It would seem like, right now, finding a way up to the Sky Island was a necessity. In the meantime, however, there have been more discoveries. Luffy and Usopp had become interested in whatever treasures that laid within the wrecked ship, and had produced a coffin that was located in the vicinity.

"Interesting… this person died 200 years ago…" Robin examined as everyone watched as she worked "the man was young, around the age of 30… his teeth is coated in rubber oil, a traditional practice of South Blue. I assume he is an explorer, who had died while at sea."

"She got all that just by looking at a skull?" Nami whispered.

"If the ship has just that, then think of what else it could contain?" Gian wondered. Luffy and Usopp had already begun to look for more things, even as the ship continued to sink and almost taking the rubber captain with it.

"Oh yeah, we also found this!" Luffy grinned as he held out a sheet of paper as the rest of them fished him out.

"It's… a map!" Nami's eyes widened "It looks like it's an island of some sort… called Skypiea…?"

"That must be the Sky Island!" Gian realized "200 years ago this person had went up to the Sky Island! It's seems that people have done this before, somehow they figured out a way to get up all the way there."

"Maybe the ship still has more things in it that can help us, we should salvage it for more evidence." Robin added.

"I have to agree with that, it may be the only way we can reach the Sky Island. Someone will have to dive." Gian nodded.

* * *

Usopp was able to make a few diving suits out of glass and barrels and some rubber tubes. Luffy naturally wanted in on this, so without hesitating he jumped into a diving suit and plunged in, even forgetting about his Devil Fruit power in that time. Zoro and Sanji soon joined him as they sank down to the wreckage.

"With them occupied, I'll be getting back to reading." Gian shrugged as he flipped open Steve Martin's book once more. He decided to reread the whole thing, maybe stuff will become clearer the more he reads it.

He is wrong.

* * *

"You seem to be preoccupied." Robin smiled softly at the scene of the Kaiju-Zoan user grimacing as he squinted at a page whose ink had almost disappeared.

"I am like 75% certain that some of these wasted pages actually contain some pretty valuable information… like this one!" Gian replied "If it weren't so goddamn hard to read!"

"It is the struggle of archeology, more times than not you expect to find something only to get stuck or find a dead end."

"But that's your job… I'm just trying to understand what the book is talking about." Gian pointed out.

"With patience, all will be revealed." Robin bantered back.

"Then I'd probably miss it."

Before they could continue their conversation, the waters where the shipwreck was suddenly frothed as a massive sea creature surfaced. The giant turtle was just looking for a meal, naturally. However with the sunken ship being the only object big enough to sate its appetite it went for that, which meant Luffy and the others were swallowed along with it. It also means that the tubes that was giving air to the 3 were caught in its jaws, which had the unfortunate effect of the turtle dragging the ship in a separate direction.

* * *

"Oh dear… it seems Captain-san and the others have been eaten." Robin pointed out.

"WE CAN SEE THAT! WHAT DO WE DO?!" Usopp yelled.

"We will have to cut the tubes it seems." Robin said simply.

"NO WAY! THEY'RE STILL IN THERE!"

"If we don't, we will end up at the bottom of the ocean as well." Robin, not bothered in the slightest, reminded him.

"There has to be another way! Wait… I got it!" Gian's eyes lit up as he threw an Atomic Fireball at the turtle's head. The projectile popped with a loud bang, but the creature didn't seem to notice.

"Its skin is too tough, that or I'm just too small…" Gian groaned. They were out in open waters right now, so matching the size of the animal with a Full Transformation was impossible.

"OK… Partial Transformation then!" Gian growled as blue fire burst around him, his revealed dorsal fins flashing blue before firing an **Atom Ray**. The turtle groaned slightly, but otherwise still remained unnoticing of the situation.

"NOTHING'S WORKING!" Gian yelped as he was forced to turn back.

"WAAAH THEY'RE GOING TO DIE!" Chopper, Usopp and Nami cried.

"Hey guys, what's with all the commotion?" and of course, that voice made the 4 wheel around in surprise to see the Monster Trio wave at them.

"LUFFY! YOU DIDN'T GET EATEN!" Usopp wept in relief.

"Eaten? Why would- WHAAAA, WHAT IS THAT THING!" Luffy pointed to the shelled animal that was now diving back into the water.

"You… didn't even notice? Nami stammered "But how did you get out of the ship?"

"We must've gotten out before it ate it." Zoro shrugged.

"Then you mean I Partially Transformed for nothing?" Gian asked incredulously.

"If you did that, then yeah that probably was." Sanji nodded.

"TELL US SOONER NEXT TIME!" the four shouted with shark teeth. Robin only looked on and welcomed them back.

* * *

"Seriously…" Gian grumbled "You guys better have found something worthwhile in the ship…"

"Oh, it was so cool!" Luffy laughed as he was about to reveal his findings "There was this-"

"YOU! PIRATES!" another voice boomed.

Another man jumped onto the Merry, and he was one strange fellow. He resembled a cross between a monkey and a person, more so that of the primate.

"…Who are you?" the ones that were not underwater (minus Robin) asked in a confused tone.

"I am Masira, and the seas in these parts are mine to salvage! You think you can just take my treasure and leave? You have a whole new thing coming!"

"Treasure? So you all found something?" Nami's eyes lit up.

"That's good, then sending you guys down there wasn't a waste." Gian nodded.

"They did, and all of it belongs to me!" Masira snorted "I won't let you leave this place without-"

He never finished, for that moment the sky crackled and darkened, and the entire group witnessed an unbelievable sight:

* * *

Shadows, massive shadows silhouetted in the clouds, were seen as lightning flashed. They shined briefly, but had ingrained themselves in their mind.

The shadows were of three massive humanoid figures, standing tall against the sky. What was more intriguing were the feathery wings attached to their backs, which gave them an appearance of something divine.

"W-WHAT IS THAT?!" Usopp screamed.

"They look like people, only…" Robin murmured, but that was not all.

* * *

Another flash of light illuminated the sky, showing an even larger silhouette. This time, Gian was the one that got the big surprise as the shadow depicted a large snake like creature, its jaws open and appearing to be facing another foe. His eyes widen as he realized where he had seen such an image.

It was only for a brief second, but the massive winged creature, shaped like a bird but looked more like a supersized version of the pterodactyls they saw on Little Garden, was bearing down the snake. That was all he got before the image disappeared, but it was enough from him to get a tingle up his spine.

It was brief, but he was sure he felt an unexplainable feeling from that flying shadow, a primal feeling not unlike what he detected from Betrugus, but not one that contained any murderous intent.

"MONSTERS!" Chopper yelped from behind him.

"That might not be too far off…" Gian mumbled as a bead of sweat dripped down his brow. Unbeknownst to everyone else, the massive bird-like creature was not as unfamiliar to him as he thought.

" _Don't tell me that-"_

He didn't have time to mull over the thought as the crew was soon alerted to once again to Masira's presence as the monkey-man breathed out a sigh of relief. The result was him finding out he's been booted from the ship.

* * *

"So… we all just saw that right?" Nami asked once everything's settled down.

"Yeah… today's been a really weird day." Sanji agreed.

"By the way, what did you guys find down there again?" Gian reminded them, and the 3 then laid out all of the treasure that they've salvaged from the wreckage. Nami frowned when seeing this.

"These are good and all… but they don't help us in any way! We need to find a way up to the Sky Island and a few artifacts don't do that!"

"Once again, this does confirm that the ship has been to the sky before as those bits of treasure do not seem like any we've seen down here…" Gian mumbled

"But we still have no information!"

"Yes, it seems the ship has turned up with nothing" Robin spoke "However, I do have something that could help us."

The crew's eyes widened as they saw her produce another Log Pose from behind her back.

"I got it from that salvager's ship while we were all distracted by the sight in the sky, it seems to be pointed towards a location called Mock Town" She explained "Perhaps we can find information there."

"You stole it?" Gian inquired, but Nami pushed him out of the way.

"Then we should go there! If there is anything that can help us we can learn something!"

"But I wanna go to the Sky Island…" Luffy pouted.

"Luffy… we can't get to the Sky Island if we don't know how to get up there." Zoro reminded him.

"So if there is information of the Sky Island in Mock Town, then we need to go there first." Gian explained it. Only then did the captain understood.

"To Mock Town it is!" he commanded.

* * *

And thus, everyone went back to their usual business. However, Gian was still uneasy as he looked to the sky once more to where the shadows appeared before.

"Something on your mind?" a soft voice spoke beside him as he turned to see Robin also looking up.

"Just got a bad feeling of whatever we'll find when we get up there." He muttered as he looked into the book once more, sighing when he got onto a certain page "As I suspected… they're the same."

"What discovery have you made?"

"Earlier, after the 3 winged peopled, you remember that there was another flash that depicted two large creatures staring down one another, did you not?" Robin nodded when Gian presented the question.

"Look at this." Gian showed her the page, and she saw the rough sketch of a crude image engraved into a golden wall. The image showed a winged creature with a bird-like head, but with a small crest and feet tipped with claws. Its wings fully fanned out, it faced down a group of nymph-like insects.

Even Robin had to do a double take at that.

"You not suggesting that-"

"I might be wrong, but the glimpse of that large bird-like creature and this image is almost parallel to each other." Gian sighed "If that's the case, then we've got more than just an island in the sky when we get up there. We've got something much bigger."

* * *

 _Later:_

Mock Town is a rather small coast town, one you'd normally expect on most islands. It is located on the island of Jaya, a place of water and tropics. It also a hangout for other pirates.

"This looks like a lot of fun!" Luffy cheered as he raced down the ship, dragging Zoro with him.

"Luffy, wait! We're supposed to be gathering information!" Nami yelled as she chased after them.

"Wait, I want to go too!" Sanji told them, but Usopp and Chopper clung to him, preventing him from moving.

"Please don't go Sanji!" Usopp wept.

"Yeah, we need someone to protect us!" Chopper cried as well.

"Come on! You guys can't be serious!" Sanji sighed "Well, I suppose the more people defending the ship, the less chance we get attacked, so I guess I'll stay…"

"Maybe I'll stay too. There's still a few things in this book I want to figure out." Gian proposed.

"You've been looking at it all day! What's in there anyway?" Usopp asked.

Before Gian could crack the pages open, Robin's shadow fell over him.

"I am going shopping, maybe get some information in the process, is that OK?"

"The information part I get, but I never took you to care much about clothing." Gian replied.

"I figure Navigator-san would appreciate it if I no longer need to wear her shirt." Robin shrugged.

"Yeah Nami was pretty peeved about that…" Gian's eyes lit up "Say… since you are going out, do you need a companion? I know I already volunteered to stay on the Merry, but they got Sanji already so if you need a hand with anything I can do a few things."

Robin raised an eye at that, before turning around and walked off the ship.

"Do what you wish."

"Well, I think it'll be better if I go with her. I'll be back later." Gian nodded before following her.

"Make sure Robin-Chwan doesn't get hurt, alright?" Sanji called out to him, to which Gian raised a hand in acknowledgement.

"She's a grown woman, she can take care of herself." Gian called back before he departed.

 _Later:_

"For such a small town, this place is quite active." Gian observed as the two of them walked from shop to shop. They had asked a few people on anything they know about the Sky Island, but most either had no idea, or just thought they were crazy.

"It seems so, but where to begin?" Robin looked on.

"Maybe we should've went with Luffy, they seemed to have went to the popular places first." Gian replied.

"Of course, a suggestion would also that you'd help me look instead of having your nose buried in that book…"

"Hey, I can multitask just fine." Gian answered back, eyes in the book again.

They continued walking for a bit, still on the lookout for any source of information. Along the trip Robin didn't buy much else, saying that she'll know what she needs when she sees it.

It was here that Gian suddenly noticed something was up. Standing in the middle of a square was a rather tall man with a pair of strange glasses; one of the lens was normal, while the other was circular and shaped like a reticle. Gian was perplexed for a while, until he saw the man lift up a long, wide-barreled rifle.

Before he could do anything, the towns people had to duck as the man shot upwards twice. A few seconds later, two seagulls fell onto the stone ground, twitching for a while before falling still.

"Oi, what was that for?!" Gian demanded. The man only raised an eyebrow at him before responding calmly.

"I was indulging in a game of fate. I wanted to see whether these birds will die instantly when they are shot out of the sky, or whether they will bear the agony before passing on. It seems like fate has granted them a swift death."

"So you killed two birds only to satisfy your morbid curiosity about fate?!" Gian asked angrily.

"Not a curiosity, but merely a test." The man shrugged, clearly unfazed by what he just did "Fate is something that is rather fascinating, you never know what might happen with it affecting the world." Before Gian could respond the man hoisted the rifle onto his shoulders and walked away.

"What a conceited little-" he growled before Robin had to remind him they had things to do.

It wasn't the only strange thing they saw. As they continued strolling the loud declarations of a large man with a Luchador mask asking for anyone to challenge him to a feat of strength could be heard. It seems like this town has some quirky characters in it. And yet, still no information on any Sky Island.

Finally the two stopped at a clothing store. While Robin went ahead and looked around, Gian stayed close to the door. Originally deciding to flip open his book and reread again, he then reminded himself of his state of attire. He could do with a change of clothes too, he supposed.

"Shopkeeper, do you have anything my size?"

* * *

 _A few minutes later:_

And out of the dressing room stepped out Gian decked out in some new gear. Now wearing a black vest suited in a dark black trench coat, black jeans, and black boots. He also got himself of pair of sunglasses and a pair of black gloves. Looking himself over in the mirror, he grinned.

"Damn I look good."

A sound behind him alerted him, and he turned to see Robin staring at him with an amused expression on her face.

"Someone likes the color black a bit too much, it seems."

"It was always there, I just decided to add more to it." Gian shrugged "It's part of my charm."

"I'll bet, though don't you think you'd stand out way too much?"

"Let them stare, I like the attention. Besides, I could say the same for you. What you're wearing isn't exactly commonplace choice clothing either." Robin was now dressed in a yellow sleeveless shirt and purple pants, along with her old cowgirl hat again.

"The hat may attract some attention, yes." Robin nodded "Anyways, there are some things I've found that should be of interest to us."

"Oh, do tell. That was the reason why I came out here after all."

"Just before I spoke to you, a person told me that there was someone who has heard of the Sky Island. Apparently, he is the only one here that still believes in that story." Robin explained "His name is Montblanc Cricket, and he lives on the other side of this island. He may be a lead for us."

"One person huh… seems like the Sky Island is treated mostly like a legend. But if he knows something, then we should talk to him." Gian nodded "Though why does he have to live so far?"

"From what I've gathered, he has been here for the last 10 years on that side of the island. The people of Jaya, that's the island's name, rarely speak to him. They think of him as a wishful thinker that's clinging onto an impossible dream. Likewise, he isn't the most approachable person either."

"A dreamer huh… that's another one on the block." Gian sighed "This is good news. Do you mind heading back first? I'll go get Luffy and the others and let them know as well!"

"That seems fair." Robin agreed before paying for her clothes and walked back.

"Now, if I remember correctly Luffy went towards the center of town which should be- Ah!" it took a while, but he finally saw 3 familiar faces sitting in front of what appears to be a bar.

"There you guys are! I have something that you'd probably like to-"

* * *

And his eyes widened in shock. The reason for this is one thing: Luffy and Zoro were covered in cuts and bruises, as if they'd just been in a bar fight considering their location. Both were rather stern, and beside them a distraught Nami was trying to tend to their wounds.

"What happened here?!" Gian demanded.

"There was a fight." Luffy grunted.

"No! I thought they were selling lemonade!" Gian drawled "You probably couldn't help it, but at least don't openly get into fights! It attracts unwanted attention."

"It wasn't our fault!" Nami snapped "We showed up at the bar to look for some information, also because Luffy had wanted some food, and then he got into an argument with someone about the cherry pie and grape juice there."

"Seriously? That's rather trivial for something to start a brawl over." Gian chastised.

"He wasn't the one that did this! Shortly after this, another person claiming to be a pirate entered. He calls himself Bellamy the Hyena, and he overhead me asking about the Sky Island and instantly began ridiculing us!"

"Wow… sounds like an ass. Hope you taught him a lesson."

"No, we didn't do anything." Luffy shrugged.

"…What?"

"Yeah, Luffy and Zoro didn't hit back at all. Not even when Bellamy and the entire bar started assaulting them. Then we were kicked out and we were here before you arrived." Nami said sadly.

"I can't believe this… and I really shouldn't be asking this, but why?" Gian asked.

"Because there was no need." Luffy shrugged. He clearly wasn't bothered with it.

"What kind of people would we be if we raised hands against lesser men?" Zoro inquired.

"That's not the point guys!" Gian grunted "It's good to have honor, but you also need street smarts! Out here few people care about what you actually think! They could care less about your hopes and dreams. You guys have to defend it when the need arises."

"That's what I said. Bellamy was ranting about how a new age is coming where dreams mean nothing and strength is all that matters… It was like he saw us as nothing else than a bunch of crazy people!" Nami mumbled.

"Then he's a fool! Where did he go off to?"

"What are you planning to do?" Zoro said sharply.

"What does it look like? This scumbag disrespected my friends, and now he's going to pay! Claims that dreams are worthless? Well he's gonna be dreaming of release when my fists slam into his face!"

"Gian, stop it!" And suddenly Luffy barked, all nonsense removed from his voice. It's clear that, when it comes to this incident, Luffy wasn't going to change his mind.

"Luffy, if you would only-"

"If you beat them up, you'll be no better than they are."

"You can't just reason-"

"I remember once Shanks was also attacked when he was at the bar. I had always wondered why he didn't fight back, now I do."

This made Gian pause. It was true, despite his power, Red Hair Shanks was always one to avoid confrontation if he could. If there wasn't a need to spill blood, he wouldn't have to. That being said, when push came to shove one would soon find out why exactly he was made a Yonko.

"Shanks-san… he was…"

* * *

 _Flashback:_

" _What is going on?" 2 days before the rendezvous, the atmosphere within the Red Force had suddenly turned tense. The morning had come with the entire crew staring out to sea with an unreadable expression._

" _We have visitors" Benn Beckman stated "A pirate crew."_

" _Coming for us? Who would have anything to do with us?" Almost no one approached the Yonko without at least a well thought up reason. Considering the four emperors are the pinnacles of the sea, going to do anything against them is a death wish waiting to happen. There are however, those who overestimate their strength, those who wish to prove themselves, and those who are generally not right in the head to function correctly, but somehow managed to make it into the New World._

 _And these people sailing towards them are just that, a group that had made it into the New World relatively unscathed, and now believe the world is beneath them. They will soon learn just how costly their mistakes can be._

" _I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU, 'RED HAIR' SHANKS! OUR MARK ON HISTORY WILL BE MADE WHEN WE STRIKE AGAINST ONE OF THE FOUR EMPERORS!" the captain of the crew shouted at the top of his lungs._

" _That's what's happening? A few challengers?" Gian asked._

" _Annoyances would be a better word" Yasopp grumbled "Most people are sensible enough to avoid the strongest pirates on the seas, but there's a few of them who haven't done their homework."_

" _And that makes us the ones who have to play teacher. Believe me, we don't want to do this either but these idiots are heading for self-destruction if they try to fight us, so we'd prefer not to." Triton shrugged._

 _Shanks strode out towards the figurehead of the Red Force "Greetings! How may I entertain you?"_

" _Coming straight for us eh? I expected the legendary 'Red Hair' to be something else, but he looks just like a regular person!" the captain was a stocky fellow with a triangular shaped head and an ugly sneer "Word on the seas says that you've lost an arm, how did you even become a Yonko over a stupid things like that?"_

" _Wow, word does spread fast!" Shanks chuckled, not peeved in the slightest "I do have to say, it's really hard to scratch my back now."_

" _Who does he think he is?!" Gian stated angrily, but a hand pressed him down._

" _Nah, Sencho's got this." Triton motioned for him to watch._

" _I guess me and my boys will be replacing you then! Fire the cannon!" the captain cackled. The resulting blast wasn't even close to the Red Force, and Shanks was rather amused as water rained down around him, some splattering on his crimson locks._

" _That's a crisp sounding cannon you've got there!"_

" _And that's only a demonstration! Next one sends you to the bottom of the sea!"_

" _I'm afraid we've don't have anything like that, but I hope this will compensate! Yasopp, Triton, care to do the honors?"_

" _Ohoho… I thought you'd never ask!" Triton giggled like a kid in a candy shop. Yasopp only grinned as he took out his prized rifle, before firing two rounds. Not a moment later did Triton bring his trident around in a clean sweep, the moment he did so a massive gale whipped up. While the crew braced themselves, the two bullets screeched towards the other ship in breakneck speed, snapping their mast in two with their momentum when it struck._

 _The result was the entire opposing crew slack jawed at the difference of power between them._

" _Well? Was it adequate?" Shank called back._

" _Y-you… DARE MAKE A FOOL OUT OF ME?! PREPARE TO BOARD THEM!" the captain screeched as he got over his shock, but before he could, Shanks' eyes turned hard._

" _You should turn away now, you all look like promising pirates. Don't ruin everything you've worked towards here." The Yonko spoke softly, but his voice commanded authority._

" _I-I'll show you!" the despondent attacker stammered. Shanks only sighed._

" _I dislike using this for issues that could be settled normally, but I don't want to hurt you. So forgive me." and just like that, the Yonko's glare tripled in its viciousness, and that's when Gian felt it._

 _It was a wave of unexplainable feelings, it made him feel nauseous, and so oppressive at the same time. Gian thought as if he was being crushed by an unseen force pressing hard onto his chest. His breath quickened, he began to sway back and forth. The energy threatened to make him black out as black dots lined his sight. It took all he had to stay focused._

 _And then it ended, all the pressure lifted off him. It was only then he noticed two things: one was Triton holding him up._

 _The other was what was going on in the other ship._

 _One by one, the opposing crew's eyes fluttered before they fell down. Soon the entire crew dropped like flies, with the captain lifting his hand in an attempt to say something before he too fell unconscious. Gian let out a gasp._

" _W-what did-?"_

" _They'll be out of it for a bit. Don't worry, I didn't kill them. There was no need." Shanks explained kindly._

" _T-they're not dead?" Gian whimpered._

" _No, merely knocked out. I have no reason to harm them."_

" _B-but you could've killed them, right?"_

" _Why would I?" Shanks inquired "They made it this far, I won't stop them from going further. When there's no need to fight, then you don't have to. Sometimes, being the bigger man is better than fighting for your honor."_

" _Even if he insulted you?"_

" _One would only purposely insult another without reason when they are unsure of themselves." Shanks explained "When you know better, you'd ignore the insults thrown your way. When you learn to do that, that's when you know what you're worth. Those guys were overconfident, they thought themselves better than what they actually are. I did not want it to come to what just happened, but they clung to their pride too much. I only hope this would be a humbling experience for them, but even with that it's no reason to harm them physically."_

 _Then Shanks broke into a grin._

" _On the other hand, good to see that you have some considerable willpower!"_

" _W-what?" and just like that, Shanks' cheerful attitude returned "What did you do back there?"_

" _Don't worry about that!" Triton smirked "It isn't something you have to worry about just yet."_

 _And without explaining any further the Red Hair Pirates sailed away._

 _Flashback end_

"…Merciful. Right, even with how strong Shanks-san is, he never lifted his sword for needless violence. He knows what he's worth…" Gian remembered.

"You've seen it too, right?" Luffy smiled lightly "It's the same thing here. Those guys that attacked us, stating that dreams are foolish and what not, can believe what they want! We don't have to stoop to their level!"

"Sometimes you surprise me…" Gian mumbled. A part of him still wanted to go after the group that attacked his two friends, but he too realized there was no need "Ugh… fine. Didn't want my new clothes to be stained in blood anyways."

"Zehahaha… Yup! Your captain did the right thing for not fighting those idiots!" another booming voice alerted them.

* * *

Gian turned to see a rather portly man sitting outside the bar, dressed in rather simple grey attire. He was a large man, very stocky and had a wide grin with a few missing teeth. All in all, aside from his black scruffy beard, the man seemed like a seafarer as well.

"Hey! It's the other guy from the bar!" Luffy noted.

"You two met each other?" Gian asked.

"You could say that, had a small incursion but nothing to get worked up over." The man said, munching on a cherry pastry "This really is good cherry pie, can't believe that you'd dislike it."

"Anyway, you can ignore what those fools told you in the bar. What they said about the Sky Island, about the foolishness of dreams, none of it is true!"

"You were listening in?" Gian asked.

"Heard enough to know what's going on. You two are right to not retaliate against them, they aren't worth the effort." The man chuckled "They sure have a lot of nerve though, talking as if they know how things work."

"Just know this, everything they said about a New World where strength is all that matters, a world where dreams are worthless, all of its complete bullshit!" the man proclaimed "The world of pirates were found on dreams, it's what carries them forwards. Hear me on this: The dreams of pirates… WILL NEVER END!"

It was a bold proclamation, one that would've landed him in trouble in some places, but clearly the man had no doubt about what he says.

"Well, glad I got that off my chest! Good luck on finding the Sky Island." And with a farewell, the mysterious fellow staggered off. During his departure, Gian could've sworn that the bespectacled man with the rifle he encountered earlier could be seen nearby…

"Wow… he's kind of weird…" Luffy mumbled.

"Yeah… I don't know what, but something ticks me the wrong way about him." Zoro agreed.

"All I can say… is that I have a feeling this won't be the last time we'll see him." Gian stated "Call me paranoid, but a guy like that is destined for something much bigger."

He then straightened up "Since we're on the topic of the Sky Island, Robin found something that could be of interest to us."

"Since when did she and you began working together?" Zoro asked.

"Since we were the ones left with nothing to do. Regardless, she found out this person named Montblanc Cricket on the other side of the island. Apparently he's a little nutty, but he's the best bet we got."

"If that's the case, then let's get back to the ship." Nami agreed.

They still have a lot to work for if they want to reach the Sky Island.

 **A/N: OK! This chapter is a bit shorter, and mostly is to set up for future chapters. I also dropped a bit more on what Kaiju-Zoan user will be appearing in Skypiea, by the design it should be pretty obvious. I will tell you that, in addition to Enel, Skypiea will be facing another threat, and will open up more about Kaiju mythos soon.**

 **And as of tomorrow, I'll be on a 2 week trip to Japan. So if nothing gets done for 2 weeks, you know the reason. I hope to still work on the next chapter for a bit while on the trip, and hopefully it will be ready by the time I get back! As for now, enjoy this new chapter, even if it's a bit less than the last!**

 **Responses to Reviews:**

 **To FourthWallBreaker:**

 **Sky Island is home to giant flying beasts, I'll give you that little bit.**

 **G: which could mean anything.**

 **To Chance Green G. King:**

 **Skull Island itself would be referenced quite a bit, and one of the characters in a much later part will have something to do with it.**

 **And also, the Godzilla V.S King Ghidorah plot point will be visited multiple times. You'll see later that Gideon and Gian have more in common than they think.**

 **To Lucas FTW:**

 **Ok… let's see what you got here this time…**

 **G: WAIT! I KNOW OF THIS!**

 **T: What is it?**

 **0.5: It's another language again.**

 **Yup, German. Guess he just stuck with it this time.**

 **G: THAT'S NOT THE POINT! THIS ISN'T JUST ANY SONG! IT'S… IT'S… IT'S THE PIRATE RAP OF THE ONE PIECE 4KIDS DUB!**

 **T: Dub?**

 **0.5: 4Kids?**

 **Oh dear… those were dark times…**

 **No seriously, there's a line that we don't cross and we've clearly crossed it…**

 **To anquan16:**

 **G: I know no fear, but those shadows were kinda weird.**

 **T: Super Toilet**

 **G: NOOOO! SO! MUCH! CLOGGING!**

 **0.5: Seriously? I could've just done that?**

 **To Girlbook:**

 **There will be allies, and there will be enemies. The upcoming one leans more towards the former.**

 **To Noble Pirate:**

 **I think that's what happens when there's so many characters in a series. Some always get cast off to the side when they could've been more. Especially now, considering Luffy is standing up to the likes of Doflamingo and Big Mom, Smoker doesn't really have much over that.**

 **To JayH120:**

 **Well you were right about one thing!**

 **G: And I do love clothes!**

 **I think Gideon's becoming quite a favorite. Glad to see that, considering he'll be returning fairly frequently.**

 **To Lil'Manuel.G:**

 **Glad you caught on to the references! And don't worry too much about Sanji. Whenever Gian says something stupid, we have to have people keep him in line.**

 **G: I don't say stupid things!**

… **Do you want a lie or the truth?**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **Lore will be appearing throughout some of the chapters, so you can expect more!**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **That's what happens with it! And expect more lore to pop up during Skypiea!**

 **To squeegywing:**

 **Ghidorah was a hard one for me. He's depicted as evil for the most part, but the Marines in One Piece, while being antagonists, are supposed to be the good guys. I finally decided to add him as a Marine Vice Admiral mostly due to how he appeared in GMK. And besides, for the more evil characters, I have other Kaiju-Zoans for.**

 **G: And we have a Winner! Someone knows their music!**

 **To omegadramon2:**

 **Indeed have seen Kong: Skull Island. Glad it set up Monsterverse for what's to come.**

 **Kong will indeed be appearing as a Kaiju-Zoan user, and Gamera, let's just say I have a rough outline of how he could work, at last!**

 **To Taser101:**

 **G: She's useful when it's good, but I think you're overthinking it.**

 **Really? You were all gung ho about it earlier…**

 **G: Hey I learned to take things slow. Wouldn't want to ruin anything. Besides, 0.5's been giving me tips.**

 **0.5: yeah, considering we've worked together for a bit, I feel like I'd be the best person for this.**

 **T: You grow up so fast… *cries in joy**

 **To JJsanoguel98:**

 **If you've read some of my responses before, I've teased that Roger has knowledge on the Kaiju-Zoans. Also back in Reverse Mountain, Crocus also hinted at two of them that he's known personally. And I try with the humor whenever I can, last chapter was mostly exposition. But even with that, this story tends to be a bit darker than the actual series, so that's unavoidable.**

 **And don't worry about Enies Lobby. While that's still some ways off. It's gonna take much sooner than 3-4 years. 1 and a half at the most, depending on my motivation for the story and how long Skypiea and my original Arc will take.**

 **And that's all for this time, we'll see you again soon!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will hype up Metroid Prime 4 even more!**

 **G: IT CAN'T BE DONE! I'M ALREADY TOO HYPED.**

 **T: SO AM I.**

 **0.5: MY LIFE IS WONDERFUL RIGHT NOW.**


	46. Into The Sky!

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Opening for the Jaya Arc: SHUFFLE (Yugioh Duel Monsters OP. 2)**

The road to the other side of the island was harder than the crew had originally thought it would be.

"Green monkey son of a- If I see him again I'm screaming into a megaphone into his face… see how he likes it!" Gian shuddered as the crew recovered from that ordeal. After explaining the plan to the crew, their departure was interrupted by another salvager, another ape-man named Shoujou claiming to be the brother of Masira. When Luffy revealed they've thrown the monkey off their ship, this prompted the pirate to attack in an attempt to avenge his brother. Fortunately they managed to escape, though not without their eardrums almost bursting and the Merry showing some fractures in her wooden hull.

However, the other side of the island was now in sight, and perhaps now they could get some information on the Sky Island.

"I don't see anything…" Usopp mumbled as he looked around.

"Robin, are you sure you heard correctly?" Chopper was also looking around.

"It is strange to think someone lives here… there's no sign of any houses or signs of camp being set up…" Nami scoured the shore, and indeed it just appeared to be hectares upon hectares of jungle, as well as some clearings.

"Hold on… I see something!" Luffy cheered as he pointed to a small shape on the tip of a small beach. As the shape grew larger, the Straw Hats were amazed as the shape made itself out to be a large castle.

Which soon turned to disappointment as they realized the castle was merely a cardboard cutout propped up by a much smaller wooden house.

"…Overcompensating much?" Sanji grimaced.

"Wait… we have to go in there?" Gian questioned "This looks like some serial killer's house, not the house of someone that knows about Sky Islands… Robin are you sure this is the right place?"

"I didn't get what the house looked like, and even so this is the only place that seemed to be habited by anyone." Was the response "According to the boy I asked, Cricket lives here as he dives every day to look for sunken gold."

"Guess we don't have a better choice… in we go." Gian sighed.

After knocking a few times to which they got no response, they found that the door was actually unlocked. The house itself didn't have much, but it did have multiple gold artifacts shaped into multiple forms. Nami naturally had beri signs in her eyes and had to be reminded of who they belonged to. Aside from that, nobody found anything worthwhile.

"Well that was a waste of time…" He isn't even here…" Zoro grumbled.

"So we have to look over the entire other half of the island just to find this guy?" Usopp sighed.

"Or he's diving right now, like Robin-chwan said." Sanji pointed out.

"At least tell me somebody found something worthwhile…" Gian grunted, to which Nami held up a book.

"Well, there was this. But looking through it I found that it's just a story book."

"Hold on… I recognize this story!" Sanji rushed over and skimmed through the contents of the book, nodding ever so often "Indeed, I have seen it before. It's a children's book called 'Noland the Liar'. It's a popular story for kids back in North Blue."

"3 guesses on what he does!" Gian chortled.

"I think I've heard of it as well." Robin nodded.

"Why does somebody have a book meant for kids in his house?" Chopper asked.

"Oh no… maybe he is a serial killer! He puts on a friendly face to make him more appealing to kids!" Gian panicked.

"Gian that is so morbid! Don't say things like that!" Usopp chastised.

"That could be possible, he could've used that book to lure kids in and then show his dark and terrifying self." Robin shrugged.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO?!"

"Hey, I'm just kidding!" Gian held up his hands "From what Robin has told us he seems like an alright guy, just really reclusive. I bet when we actually talk to him he'll be-"

He didn't finish as the sea close to them splashed about as a tall man leapt from the surf. A muscular fellow, his arms and legs were well developed by years of deep sea diving. His large chin gradually tapered his head to a smaller point, ending up with a hairpiece shaped way too much like a chestnut.

"Well… guess Ero-cook was right." Zoro pointed out "He was diving."

* * *

"CRAP! HE DIDN'T HEAR WHAT I SAID ABOUT HIM, DID HE?" Gian panicked.

"You lot! Don't think I don't know what you're up to!" the man shouted.

"HE KNOWS! LOOK MAN I'M REALLY SORRY I WAS JUST WONDERING WHO YOU ARE-"

"You're here to steal the gold! Don't think I'll let you!"

"I'M SO SORRY I SAID THOSE THINGS ABOUT- huh? Gold?" and Gian was brought back to reality.

"I think he means the pieces we saw back at the house…!" Usopp stammered back, at which the man actually picked up.

"So… you've seen it. And now you're planning to take it?!" The man growled "Over my dead body!"

"Wha? No! We're here to ask you about- WHOA MAMA TAKE IT EASY THERE MAN!" the outburst by Gian was not unfounded, for that moment the man charged forwards, thrusting his palm towards him. They all managed to leap out of the way, only to find the man had faster reflexes and now had pointed a pistol towards the back of Luffy's head!

The boy didn't have a chance to dodge before the man opened fire.

"LUFFY!" everybody but Gian cried out; the latter was a bit more observant at this point.

"Um… did we all forget Luffy is made of rubber? There's a good chance that bullet won't do anything." He pointed out.

"Oh… that's right…"

"Besides…" Gian pointed to the captain, who after blinking a bit, realized he was fine "It seems like the gun missed its mark."

"Seriously?" Usopp gawked "He missed at point-blank?!"

"Actually he's on the ground right now…" Nami realized. Indeed, the large man was now sprawled down, breathing hard. Chopper quickly ran over to him.

"Decompression Sickness… it's a common thing that happens when you're out diving. It happens when you come up for air too fast and don't check for water pressure, but he should be fine after some rest!" The reindeer assured them.

"He goes out deep-sea diving yet he doesn't even acknowledge that bit? What even?" Gian quirked his eyes "Let's just bring him into the house…"

"He definitely should be more careful." Chopper agreed "He doesn't even have proper diving gear!

* * *

The man was still unconscious as Chopper tended to him. He occasionally murmured about a city of gold, but otherwise didn't wake up.

"I'm assuming this guy is Montblanc Cricket, he seems the most likely." Zoro muttered.

"Didn't you say something about the guy diving for gold, Robin?" Gian asked.

"If my memory serves well, then yes the boy that gave me this information did confirm that."

"Then that's all but confirmed."

Soon, the door to the house burst open to reveal the monkey-like duo from before. Both Masira and Shoujou were horrified to see the man lying prone on the bed.

"BOSS! WHAT HAPPEN TO YOU?!"

"AAAHHH! IT'S THEM!" Usopp cried.

"Wow… what are the chances?" Gian noted.

"YOU GUYS?! WHY ARE YOU HERE AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH OUR BOSS?!" the two monkeys shouted.

"We're taking care of him! Stop bothering us!" Luffy waved them off.

"THEY WON'T BELIEVE THAT!" Chopper wept as well.

"OH YOU GUYS ARE SO KIND! WE FEEL BAD FOR ATTACKING YOU EARLIER NOW!"

"THEY ACTUALLY DID?!" Both Usopp and Chopper deadfaulted.

"Hey… it works for us. Besides it's sort of true." Gian whispered back. And just like that, the two henchmen quickly bonded with the rest of the crew, along with confirming that the chestnut man is indeed Montblanc Cricket.

Soon, the man awoke after some treatment, much to everybody's relief.

"You guys… you helped me…" the man grumbled "Thank you. I apologize for attacking you all earlier, but I wasn't sure who you were and whether or not you're just here to steal my gold like some of the others."

"So you actually do have gold!" Nami's eyes glittered, until Zoro brought her in check.

"Yes, it has a long history with me and I made quite some sacrifices for it. Others have tried to take advantage of that before, but I've managed to fend them off, with a lot of help from these two of course." Cricket explained.

"Hehe, don't mention it boss!" Masira grinned.

"Yeah! The Saruyama Alliance stick together for things like this!" Shoujou grinned as well.

"Anyways, I heard that you all have something to ask of me?"

"Do you know about the Sky Island? We want to go there!" Luffy said happily.

"Oh, is that what this is all about?" Cricket laughed "It seems some other people believe in that tale as well."

Everybody was rather disappointed at that.

"So… the Sky Island doesn't exist?" Nami said sadly.

"Now, I didn't say that! I said I didn't know." Cricket clarified "Knowledge on the Sky Island is known by only one man, but that man is someone who's known to the rest of the world as a Liar."

* * *

"Wait… you're not talking about… USOPP?!" Luffy and Gian both shouted at the revelation.

"DON'T BE STUPID!" the sniper screamed back "If I knew anything we wouldn't even be here!"

"Hehe, you sure are a lively group. Though, looking at the young man now I could see similarities there. No, the man I speak of is this person." Cricket then lifted the storybook the crew found earlier "Noland the Liar, known to the world as a folk tale, but whose existence was clear as day."

"Noland the Liar was a real person?" Nami asked.

"As real as the rest of us, of course that was centuries ago." Cricket sighed before closing his eyes "Though, even now his blood is scattered around the world, and one of them is standing before you. That's right, I am one of Noland's descendants."

"Then that means Jaya is the place that-" realization hit the crew, and Cricket's expression only confirms it.

"Yes, this land was once described by Noland as a city of gold… of course, you all know how that turned out. Even after his death, his descendants bear the ridicule of his name." he sniffed.

"However, despite all his talk, Noland was honest about his words. He truly believed that such things exist. Even as he was on the execution platform, he still boldly proclaimed that the City of Gold had sunk into the ocean, even as others laughed at him for his words."

Cricket was somber by the time he finished his story "It's funny, I was the one who despised his name the most, yet I was the one that ended up finding the place where his City of Gold supposedly was."

"Ah, so you're here trying to find it so that you can clear his name?" Usopp chimed in, but yelped as Cricket whirled on him.

"WRONG!" the man shouted, almost firing another shot at him "What my ancestors' claim was, it has nothing to do with me! Do you know how it feels, to have to endure the sneering of others simply due to sharing blood with a man like that?! To have to live through the taunts and jeers of people for even associating with Noland the Liar?!" Cricket shouted before calming down. The two primates were somber as well, it's clear they've known about his feelings in the matter.

"The sins of the fathers are passed on to the sons… you coming out here was trying to get away from all that, was it?" Gian inquired. Cricket sighed before continuing.

"Yes… that's correct. I wanted nothing to do with the Montblanc Lineage, so I left home to seek my own fortunes. It's a twisted form of irony in that case, that I was the one that ended up finding this place. Many members of my family had searched for it, but none had found it. Only I, the one who wished to distance himself from it the most…"

"When I do finally find it, it is only to bring some peace to my heart. This is a personal duel, a duel between me and the man who ruined my life!"

"And just like that… you've been searching all this time…" Zoro noted.

"Indeed, it's been years. I'm no closer to finding it all this time, but I know for a fact it exists now. Traces of gold, found every day as I dive for it. It's somewhere in the ocean for sure. Eventually these two joined me after hearing about the story. Said they were believers as well and we've been working together all this time." Cricket gestured to the two monkeys.

* * *

"That's great and all, but what of the Sky Island? What does all this have to do with each other?" Gian asked.

"Yeah, how do we get there?" Luffy chimed in as well.

Cricket smiled softly "That… is found within this." He held up a book "This was Noland's logbook. Read this one passage, and see if you believe it or not?"

"Hmm…" Gian swept his eyes over the page "…A merchant once told me about called a Waver, it is quite a piece of work… it's capable of sailing even though there's no wind! The rest of the crew is having a blast with it. I however, haven't been able to control it well yet…"

"This is really cool and all, but where does it- oh, wait" he continued reading.

"The merchants told us that the Waver works on specific energies, energy found only on… a Sky Island!" Gian grinned. Now they're getting somewhere!

"Supposedly an island exists somewhere in the sky, amongst a sea of clouds. It is such a grand place for adventure, but alas my ship is unable to reach it. If only one day, I can visit it... Signed, Montblanc Noland…" Gian whispered as he finished. When he turned, the rest of the crew were excited as well!

"It mentions the sea of clouds! It's just like Robin told us!" Nami said happily.

"There's no doubt about it! The Sky Island exists!" Usopp exclaimed.

"I wanna go right now!" Luffy grinned as well.

Cricket grinned at that; he couldn't help but feel slightly warm at the sight.

"If the matter is getting there, then there is perhaps one way. This is just a theory though, I can't guarantee it would work."

"Everything else adds up so far, I'm sure this will too." Gian assured him.

"Very well. What I know is that, surrounding these seas there are particular clouds. Dark, imposing ones that are so dense that even the sun does not shine through them-"

"Then the Sky Island must be on one of those!" Luffy exclaimed "Let's go!"

"Hold on, I wasn't finished!" Cricket barked "You can't expect to get up there if you don't know how. The truth is that every once in a while, 5 times every month in fact, a massive pillar of water shoots up from the sea to the sky! This is the Knock Up Stream, and it forms from excess gas released from within an underwater cavern. If the Stream is strong enough, it should propel you far enough into the sea of clouds!"

"But be warned: it can lift you up there, but it's still possible that there isn't anything there at all. If the sea of clouds does exist, then you should be fine. But if there isn't anything then you'd just fall back down. I don't think you need me to tell you what would happen then?"

"I-I'm feeling less certain about going up there now…" Usopp whimpered, before Gian clamped a hand down on his shoulders and making him yelp.

"Relax, think of it like a watery trampoline!"

"E-easy for you to say!"

Cricket wasn't finished however and proposed another problem.

"Also, your ship is in no condition to take a Knock Up Stream. I can tell you've had it for a long time. She sure is a resilient vessel but it's painfully obvious she's battered and worn out. Some renovations will have to be done for her to withstand the trip upwards."

"You'd do all this for us?" Nami asked.

"Hey, we're both searching for something. The least I can do is help one of us find what their looking for."

 _Later:_

"Anything else in the book?" only Gian and Robin were still looking over Noland's log book. The others were off having a party, though Gian wanted to join, a part of him compelled him to stay.

"A lot of information from Noland's travels… but nothing about the Sky Island…" Robin mumbled.

"Shame, though Cricket-san did say Noland never did make it up there. His great-great-great-great-great grandfather does seem to have a lot on Jaya, but nothing about where we want to go."

"Yes… although I will admit that the City of Gold sounds very interesting. If only there was time to look for it as well…"

"Of course you'd be interested in that! Unfortunately for us, it's underwater. Half of us can't go down there so I figured it'll be less fun." Gian laughed.

"I suppose so." Robin shrugged "Hmmm, there's another page…"

"Within the Skull's right eye, the gold can be found." And Cricket leaned real close to the two of them, prompting Gian to almost whip out Atom Splitter.

"That's what the page says. Apparently Noland said the same thing prior to his death. I still haven't figured out what it means."

"Don't ask us, we don't know either…" Gian stuttered, still shaken by the earlier incident.

Cricket sighed wistfully "All these years, the City of Gold still shies away from me. But I know I'm on the right track! Every day, I dive down deep and always I manage to find traces of it. Take a look!"

With that, the man produced multiple trinkets of gold, making the Straw Hat's eyes wide with wonder as they gazed upon it.

"These are mostly lockets, I don't really know what they were used for. My favorite one is this one though" he then pulled out a golden idol of a bird with a crest and a curved beak "This is a South Bird, named because of its head always pointing south. You can still find some of them in the rainforests around Jaya today and-"

"SHIT!" Cricket's eyes suddenly widened as he let loose that outburst. The Saruyama Alliance also caught on to what he was about to say.

"You guys have to go find a South Bird right now!"

"Um… do we-?"

"No time to explain! You need to go into the rainforest and find a South Bird right now! It's the only thing that can lead you to the Knock Up Stream!"

"And how is that possible?" Usopp asked.

"They say that some animals have a naturally good sense of direction. They can act as a form of bio-compass, and since the Knock Up Stream is directly south of here, the South Bird will lead you to it due to the shape of its head!" Cricket explained.

"And since we can't lock onto it normally like a Log Pose since it isn't a landmass…" Nami realized.

"Exactly, but you haven't much time! Go and find one now! Shoo!" And Cricket hurriedly ushered them out of the house for their next leg of the journey.

 _Later:_

"Bird hunting… bird hunting… Who would've thought to do it at night?!" Gian snapped as he looked around. The groups have separated; Luffy, Nami and Sanji were one, Zoro and Robin were another pair. That left Gian with Usopp and Chopper taking the last route. Splitting up could be helpful in finding it first, but in the darkness it makes it more difficult.

"Well, at night it's probably sleeping so we can catch it easier?" Chopper suggested.

"That's fair. Now that I think of it, this is actually kind of fun!" Gian laughed "We're like 3 adventurers braving the wilds of the jungles, where wild beasts and virulent diseases run amok!"

"Hehe, yeah! That is what this is like!" Usopp smiled as well.

"To the South Bird!" Chopper shouted.

"TO THE SOUTH BIRD!" The other two cried out as well, until Gian realized something.

"Although quieter would be better, we wouldn't want to scare it away! Now let's-"

A shrill cry alerted them, causing Usopp and Chopper to yelp and leap behind Gian for safety. So much for brave explorers!

"I-Is that one of the beasts…?" the sniper whimpered.

"Dunno, let's go find out." Gian slid Atom Splitter off his back as the three scooched forwards.

Gradually, they could make out noises coming from the direction they were going. The sound of slashes, more of the cry from earlier, and the occasional grunt of exasperation.

"W-what is going on there?" Chopper trembled.

"It sounds like a struggle, someone is in trouble there!" Gian declared before whipping around Atom Splitter in Wild Arcs, chopping up parts of the undergrowth as the two children behind him screamed as well.

"DO NOT WORRY RANDOM STRANGER! WHY? BECAUSE I AM HERE!" he then roared and charged south, the direction of the sound.

"WAIT, DON'T LEAVE US!" Usopp yelped as he followed.

"HUH? WEREN'T WE SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING FOR THE SOUTH BIRD?" Chopper facefaulted before scurrying after them as well.

* * *

Rustling can soon be heard as Zoro and Robin were fighting off waves of large insects. They had managed to find the South Bird first, only to discover a rather nasty ability that it has. The bugs of Jaya were much larger than your average ones, and soon, they were being swarmed.

"Dammit, is there more coming?" Zoro raised one of his blades to brace himself, only to get the surprise of his life when Gian launched out of the bush, yelling loudly. The act managed to cause him to fall over as Gian leapt over him.

"Wait, Zoro?" Gian was perplexed "Then what was all the- WAIT, WHERE AM I LANDING?!"

* **CRASH**

* * *

"I hate rainforests…." He groaned, before looking down in surprise. It just so happened that he landed directly onto Robin and the two were both sprawled to the ground.

It didn't make it any less awkward that his face was placed in a rather… risqué position.

"COVER YOUR EYES CHOPPER!" Usopp cried.

"Gian-san, please get up." The woman only sighed.

"OHMYGODIAMSOSORRYTHISDAYISJUSTSOMUCHWORSE-" Gian jumped back in embarrassment. The boys back home must never learn of him sticking his head (accidently!) between a woman's chest. What kind of role model would he be for his little brother if they had found out?

"Geez, at least give me a warning when you're jumping in like that!" Zoro snapped as he got back up.

A snickering sound was heard above them, as the group glanced up to see the multicolored bird making a little gesture with its body.

"Hey, you guys found it! Chopper what is it saying?" Usopp asked.

"Um… you're not gonna like this…" Chopper mumbled "It thinks we're a bunch of idiots…"

"Yeah…I could've figured that out…" Gian took a deep breath "BOY IF YOU DON'T-"

And then the South Bird emitted another shrill cry that alerted dozens more of the large insects earlier. Soon, more mantises and centipedes leapt at the group, causing the cursing and vile language to erupt again as Zoro and Gian were forced to chop their way through them. The bird giggled to itself again before flying off.

"It's getting away!" Usopp pointed.

"I once said I love all animals… that one is an exception…" Gian's eyes flared more bugs clung to him. They were all blown to pieces when blue flames erupted from his body as he emerged in his Partial Transformation " **SKREHAHAHA! WHAT NOW YOU PEONS?!"**

"I don't think he's even in the mood for catching that bird anymore…" Chopper sighed as Gian continued his rampage against the creepy crawlies.

"Guess we'll have to go after it." Zoro grunted.

It was a few minutes later when Luffy's group, after having no luck finding the bird and hearing all the commotion, showed up as well. Needless to say, the sight of a Partially Transformed Gian tearing into a pack of large insects were something they did not expect to see.

"Do…do we want to know?" Nami asked.

"Even we're still trying to figure it out…" Usopp sighed.

It took Robin's Devil Fruit ability to finally restrain the mischievous avian as the bird is now bound with a pair of arms growing out of its body.

"Gian, you can stop now… We caught it…" Chopper deadpanned.

" **YEAH! HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT YOU-** huh? **"** and the Kaiju-Zoan user snapped back to reality "Oh! Nice job guys!"

"No thanks to you… Now let's hurry up and get back to the old man." Zoro snapped as he left.

* * *

Victorious, the group began to walk back, with Gian and Robin taking up the rear as the former snickered maliciously at the captive bird.

"Oh you little bastard… if it weren't because we need you to help us find the Knock Up Stream you'd be dead meat already…" much to the bird's horror.

"Never expected you to be the vengeful type." Robin chuckled.

"I can overlook lots of things, getting buried in bugs is not one of them…" Gian grumbled "You know, if that Giant Bird from the book was with us, it would've been much easier."

"And why is that?"

"From the illustration it looks like it eats bugs, it could've helped us cleared the path."

"Very observant. Though, considering its size, wouldn't it also be eating us afterwards?"

"…Sometimes you're way too smart for your own good, you know that?" Gian scoffed, before suddenly turning away, a gesture that Robin did not miss.

"…Um… about what happened earlier…"

"Hmm? What might that be?" Robin smirked.

"YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED GODDAMMIT!" Gian snapped with his face slightly pink "I'm just saying that… it was an accident… I didn't mean anything from it and if you felt the wrong way then I apologize."

Robin shook her head "Don't worry, I know."

"Oh…! Well… uh, let's just let that slide, and neither of us mention it again? And try not to tell anyone also…"

"I don't see a reason not to" Robin agreed.

"Oh, great! Well got that off my chest!" Gian sighed with relief, Robin only smiled lightly as they returned to Cricket's house.

 _Later:_

"Hey, Ossan! We're back and we found the Bird!" Luffy called out as the crew got back, successful from their night's hunt. They were ready for what's to come next, but this night wasn't over just yet.

"Ossan! Monkey brothers! Where did you-!" Luffy's cry was cut short when the crew came across a ghastly sight.

Everyone stared in tension-filled silence as they took in the scene of destruction. The house that served as the Saruyama Alliance's base was ransacked, the painted castle partially torn down. Even the Going Merry didn't escape the damage, as it is now looking even more battered.

Masira, Shoujou and Montblanc Cricket were sprawled at the front of the house, battered and bruised as blood leaked from open wounds. Cricket was still conscious as he saw the concerned crew race to him.

"Ossan! What happened here?!" Luffy shouted.

"I should've known… that my dream would be dangerous…"

"What are you-?"

"Luffy! The gold's gone!" Nami cried out as she pointed within the house; each of the golden trinkets they've seen before had been snatched.

"And I think I know who did it..." Zoro snarled as he pointed to a tree… a symbol depicting a mouth with crossbones

* * *

"That's Bellamy's symbol… he must've-"

"Bellamy? Didn't you tell us he was the one that-?" Gian growled, but then Luffy was heard.

"Robin… can we reach Mock Town from here?"

"Yes, if you just follow the shoreline, you should be able to reach it."

"Then I'm heading off."

"Wait, what are you planning to do?" Cricket questioned.

"I'm going to bring back your gold." Was all Luffy said. Cricket's eyes widened as he tried to get up.

"S-stop! There's no need for this! It's really… not a big deal…"

"Not a big deal?! How is this not a big deal?!" Usopp demanded.

"We've been trying to follow this dream of finding that City of Gold for years… it's just a few missing pieces… we'll find more. I'll have your ship fixed up and ready to scale the Knock Up Stream by morning, so just sit tight and-"

"Stop talking." Gian told him firmly "This isn't a matter between gold or not, this is about crossing a line, and those bastards have clearly crossed it." He then leapt up and joined Luffy.

"Looks like I'm going to get blood on my new clothes after all."

"He's mine." Luffy said firmly.

"And he will be, I just want to pay the rest of his rat hole a visit" Gian replied. Luffy nodded and the two raced off, it was time to give a man his honor back.

"W-wait…! This is-" Cricket tried to protest, but was stopped by Zoro.

"Relax, they said they'll be back by dawn, and they'll have your gold with them." he promised.

 _Soon:_

"BELLAMY! GET OUT HERE AT ONCE!"

No sooner did Luffy bellow that challenge out did the bar of Mock Town burst open as a tall man kicked the door open and jumped out. Dressed in a pink shirt with dirty blond hair, Bellamy The Hyena was a nasty pirate and had a rapidly growing reputation.

"Well, if it isn't the loser I ran out of town? One beating wasn't enough for you?" a taunting grin adorned his face as Bellamy's legs turned to coils, before springing up to the roof where Luffy was standing on.

"You stole that Ossan's gold didn't you? Give it back to him at once!"

"Oh, him? Yeah I took his stuff, what of it? A dreaming idiot like him can't even defend what's supposedly his!" the pirate laughed.

"Well I'm taking it back!" Luffy shouted.

"Hehe, come and try then!"

* * *

As that verbal spat was going on, Gian got a good look at the surrounding; Bellamy at least knew what it took to be a pirate, with a fully furnished crew and all. The thing he took the longest time to look over was their ship. It was like a standard pirate ship, with a smiling skull for a figure head. But what caught his attention was the Jolly Roger, or rather both of them. One was the mouth and tongue they saw before, but the second one was a smiling face with a diagonal slash across it. That was what made him look longer. He couldn't help but feel that the second flair was somehow familiar to him.

It was as if that flag had some history with him.

He was snapped out of his musing as Bellamy continued to laugh loudly, resulting in a scowl. This guy was seriously needed of a punch in the face.

"Geez… and I thought Bartolomeo was a jackass, this guy makes him look like a saint!"

"Hahaha! That Straw Hat Idiot is back? Doesn't he know when to quit?" an obnoxious sound drew his gaze away to see a blue haired man wearing a fur coat sneering at the scene.

"And why should he quit?!" Gian growled at him, making the man turn his attention over.

"Oh please, he's another dreaming idiot like that old fool we visited earlier! I can't believe he even has 30 million as his bounty! Someone really messed that one up!" the man cackled "Not that it matters, our captain Bellamy has a 55 million beri bounty that way outclasses him! Still, can't believe he'd be this pathetic!"

"I'd be more wary of what happens during this, you can expect Luffy to come out on top in this fight! Bellamy doesn't have a chance."

"What did you say?! You think that-" the man snarled as he realized who he was talking to "Oh… I recognize you. You're 'Beast Warrior' a part of Straw Hat's crew! Came to stick up for you captain did ya? Can't even let him fight his own battles?"

" _Easy there… some punks like that aren't worth Transforming over…"_

It took Gian quite a bit of self-control not to punch the guy right then and there.

"Well listen here, my name is Sarkies, Bellamy's first mate! He's a big time rookie and an upcoming superstar! You and your dipshit of a captain can just get out of here! Then again, it's already too late for that!" and Sarkies drew a large curved knife from his pocket.

"Nice blade, compensating for something?" Gian scoffed, angering the man.

"Has anyone ever told you to watch your mouth?! For someone only worth 16.5 million, you sure don't know your place!"

"N-no, wait!" an old man ran up to them "You're mistaken! The bounties I gave you earlier were-"

"Shut up old man! I'm gonna gut him!" Sarkies shouted as he rushed forward in an overhead swing, which Gian easily sidestepped.

"If you keep this up, you're gonna get hurt. Very hurt." The Kaiju-Zoan user warned.

Before the blue haired knife wielder could do anything else, Luffy suddenly was launched from the roof to the square, landing on his feet. Bellamy's cackles sounded as his legs turned to coiled springs again.

" **Spring Hopper!"**

"You see? You captain stands no chance! Bellamy's **Bane Bane no Mi** powers are going to crush him flat!" Sarkies shouted triumphantly "Do it Bellamy! Kill him like the worthless worm he is!"

Gian said nothing only continued to watch.

And at this point Bellamy was bouncing all over the place, the speed gradually increasing as he was beginning to leave craters from his impacts.

"You made a mistake to have come back here! You and the rest of those pathetic pirates, still clinging onto worthless dreams like they mean something! The City of Gold? Sky Island? The Treasure of One Piece? All of it's a bust! Those fools all go looking for their dream treasures don't even know what's in front of them! The time of dreams are over! In this new age, out on these seas, only true strength matters! Those who live are the ones who are strong, and those who die are the ones killed by their foolish imagination!" Bellamy shouted as he began to accelerate faster, as he prepared to throw out the blow that would wipe this piss-ant off of the map.

" _This guy is just spewing nonsense at this point…"_ Gian thought " _Luffy, teach him a lesson."_

And Luffy himself can take no more of this. As Bellamy shot forwards, he didn't notice that Luffy had his fist raised.

"Who are you…TO MAKE FUN OF SOMEONE'S DREAM?!"

* * *

And Luffy threw his fist down, the impact rang out across the entire yard. It was soon drowned out by the sound of Bellamy slamming into the cobblestone, however.

And he didn't get up. Luffy knocked him out with a single punch.

"Told you." Gian only shook his head. Beside him, Sarkies was speechless.

"B-Bellamy… come on get up!" no reaction "Bellamy! What are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be giving us a show?"

"He never had a chance to begin with, he spoke of strength, but strength is empty without the right things backing it up." Gian said as he walked towards the bar. Luffy had already went to retrieve the gold, the remaining pirates cleared a path almost immediately.

Sarkies was horrified, then angry. In a last attempt to regain his captain's honor, he ran at Luffy, knife out and ready to slash down. He never made it.

"Do not move again." Gian's rage was seething at this underhanded attempt as he lowered the leg that sent the blue haired man flying to the pavement. Sarkies tried to stab him, but only realized how deep he went when Gian caught the knife in his right hand without a single thought.

"Even now you still have no idea why your captain lost…" he growled as more pressure was applied to the blade, until it shattered into pieces "All that talk about strength, disregarding dreams…"

"Dreams are what gives you the strength to set off to sea!" and Gian's eyes flashed dangerously as he delivered a stomp kick to the blue haired pirate's chest, sending him flying again.

"Dreams are what gives people hope, as they all look for meaning!" Sarkies was terrified, almost soiling himself as Gian lifted him with one hand.

"And dreams… are what makes a person persevere… even as every odd is stacked against them!" one last punch sent the man flying into the bar, landing with a crash. Sarkies did not get up after that; he won't be for a bit.

"If not for dreams… then what are you gathering strength for?" Gian ended his monologue as he glared at the remaining pirates, daring them to come. None made any move. It was like that did Luffy see him when he walked out with the retrieved gold.

"Got it?" Gian asked. Luffy nodded with a big smile. And the atmosphere between them was back to a more casual one.

"Great, now we need to head back quickly. I think I see the sun beginning to rise, and we're supposed to be back at dawn."

It was only as the duo left did the remaining Bellamy Pirates realize just who they messed with. As 2 pieces of paper drifted down at them, they couldn't even think about what they've just done.

 _Later:_

"Now remember! Once you find the current stick with it! Then bear the resulting whirlpool that comes with it and the Knock Up Stream will appear!" Masira reminded them as they set off on the newly repaired Merry. The Saruyama Alliance had made some pretty drastic changes to the ship, including the addition of two wings that would supposedly give them balance as they set off into the sky. Overall, it made the Going Merry look rather like a big chicken.

None of the Straw Hats complained though, the 3 had already done more than they needed.

"Now, we part ways here." Cricket informed them "What happens afterwards… no one may now. I do know this one fact however!" The old man grinned "No one has yet been able to prove that the Sky Island or the City of Gold _doesn't_ exist yet!"

"Others may laugh at us, but that doesn't matter! What matters is that we're still looking! Now go! Find the Sky Island!"

And with a heartfelt farewell that the Straw Hats finally set off once again.

The sea remained calm for some time as the crew followed the South Bird, nothing out of the ordinary. Soon however, the sky began to darken at an alarming rate.

And then they felt it, the turning of the ocean.

"I think this is it… we're getting close to-THERE!" Nami pointed "A whirlpool is forming! This is where the Knock Up Stream is! The Log Pose is pointing directly at that cloud!" and what a cloud it is, a massive dark pillar of a cloud. This must be the Millennium Cumulonimbus, the cloud where the Sky Island is found on!

"Now, on a different note on how to avoid being swept in…" Gian shivered as he looked over. This was no ordinary whirlpool; the force of the water was far greater, as even a Sea King could not escape its grasp.

"Stay away from the center! Don't get drawn in and stay on the side!"

"Easy for you to say…!" Gian strained as he tried to move the ship along the edges; the suction was getting stronger. He had to focus on all-

"STRAWHAT! I'VE COME FOR YOU!" a loud voice bellowed.

"OH NOW WHAT?!" Gian shouted in exasperation.

The crew turned to see a large wooden raft sailing towards them, on it were a group of people, more familiar then most.

"Hey, it's that guy from the bar!" Luffy realized.

"The guy who was shooting those birds is there too… who are they?"

"I've come for your bounties!" the rotund man grinned savagely as he held up 3 posters "You guys have got some guts, getting this much of a wanted poster!"

"Guys… you might want to take a look at this!" Usopp shouted with the spyglass.

To say they were surprised were understating it.

 **Wanted, Dead or Alive: 'Straw Hat' Monkey D. Luffy, 100 million beri.**

 **Wanted, Dead or Alive: 'Beast Warrior' Gian, 97.3 million beri.**

 **Wanted, Dead or Alive: 'Pirate Hunter' Roronoa Zoro, 60 million beri.**

"O…M…Goodness…" Gian breathed.

"I don't believe this…" Zoro mumbled.

"I see…" Luffy mumbled as well.

Then three pairs of grins became wide.

"WE'RE MORE INFAMOUS NOW!"

"WOW I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M WORTH 100 MILLION!" Luffy shouted estatically.

"97.3 MILLION IS PRETTY DAMN GOOD AS WELL, I FEEL LIKE IM GONNA GET FANS!" Gian laughed.

"I'M A BIT DISSAPOINTED WITH 60 MILLION!" Zoro said, but his grin stated otherwise. The 3 laughed in mirth as they basked in this newfound information.

"YOU GUYS STOP BEING EXCITED ABOUT THIS!" and it was Nami who was the one that had to bring them back to reality.

"Do I have one? Usopp can you check if I've got one as well?" Sanji pleaded.

"Um… I only see 3… maybe they didn't bring it out?"

"WHO CARES?! THIS MEANS MORE POPLE WILL COME AFTER US NOW, AND HAVEN'T YOU FORGOTTEN THAT ROBIN HAS A BOUNTY AS WELL? THAT'S FOUR PEOPLE ON THIS SHIP!" Nami screeched.

"Oh yeah, forgot about you for a sec there. Sorry about that." Gian informed the archeologist.

"Its fine, I've had my bounty for a much longer time and for a different reason, so the celebration would be lost to me anyway."

"Besides" Nami sighed as she signaled them to get back on track "We have to be ready… keep sailing."

"You won't escape me! Zehahaha!" the large man shouted.

For a while, the whirlpool continued to expand, threatening all in its path.

And then it all erupted, a massive pillar of water shot up towards the sky, forming a spectacular blue monolith. The force of the rising water soon sent the mysterious man's ship spiraling away.

"There it is! The Knock Up Stream!" Nami pointed.

"That's looks way too dangerous…!" Usopp trembled "How did we get up here?!" unlike the raft, Merry had somehow been sent vertically up the stream, and is hanging directly off of it!

"With one physics-defying act, that's how!" Gian grinned.

"We're going to fall!" Chopper cried.

"We won't! Everyone grab something to hang onto!" Luffy commanded.

And they were going up fast, the force of the water quickly helping them rise. So much so that Merry almost toppled off. It took the closing of sails to finally get the boat back on track. Soon, the ship disappeared from sight, deep into the cloud.

* * *

Down below, the group of men that came after them only looked with a bemused expression.

"Wihahaha… they escaped us." A large man with a luchador mask grunted.

"Indeed they did, Jesus. We didn't catch them." The man Gian encountered earlier with noted.

"It seems it is not their fate to be caught by us today." A sickly man hanging onto a horse coughed.

"Oh well, I hope they have a nice time!" the bearded captain laughed "By the way, Van Augur, have you heard from Laffite yet? He should've arrived in Mariejois by now."

"I did" The gunman confirmed "The World Government seems reluctant to grant you the title of Shichibukai. He told me that you are still relatively unknown as a pirate.

"Then everything is going smoothly…" the man grinned "When they will finally realize I am here, the world will be shaken! Let us go men!" and the crew laughed as they set off, for whatever nefarious role they will play next. The man gave one last look at the clouds, Straw Hat Luffy may have escaped this time, but even he will soon witness his rise to the top.

Life was about to be very good for Marshall D. Teach…

 _Meanwhile:_

"Incredible…" Robin noted as they rose higher into the clouds. Clouds were all that were around them, blinding them as they rose higher, with seemingly no end in sight.

"Now, keep hanging on! This trip is not over!" Gian stated over the rumbling of water "But be wary, and never let your guard down! Recall the story of Icarus, whose father gave him wings so he could fly the skies, but warned him not to fly too close to the sun. He did anyway, and his wings ended up melting and sending him falling into the sea. However, Cricket-san gifted us with a new Going Merry that is now capable of traversing the clouds, and we are not irresponsible! And with it, we will find the Sky Island!"

"Wow… so inspiring…" Chopper breathed.

"That's a great motivational speech!" Usopp agreed.

"But who's Icarus?" Sanji asked.

"Don't worry about it." Was all Gian said.

Their wait proved effective however, as a blinding light hit them. When they opened their eyes, even they had to blink twice to confirm what they saw.

"Tell me I'm dreaming…" Gian breathed "Or I died and this is heaven…"

"No… this is real…" Nami whispered.

"There's so much clouds… we're floating on clouds…" Zoro looked around.

An entire sea of clouds lay before them, seemingly spreading on forever. They were floating, but not sinking at all.

"We did it…" Gian grinned "Guys, we've made history."

 _Elsewhere:_

Unbeknownst to the Straw Hats, their arrival did not go unnoticed, and unfortunately for them, this one was not someone they'd expect to see.

"Do you feel that…? Some new signatures have appeared." A smooth voice sounded, in the darkened room. It was hard to make out anything, but a circular pattern of drums seemed to adorn this figure's back.

The one he was speaking to was not looking at him; he wished he didn't need to and preferred not to. But he rose up from his crouching position regardless "Indeed, Enel-sama…" he spoke out that last part without any emotion, almost distastefully.

"And visitors should be checked out, do you not agree?" the voice, seemingly omnipresent, sounded again.

The second one stepped out, not willing to stay for much longer.

"That is correct, Enel-sama…" the man monotoned as he reared up and spread a pair of brown, leathery wings…

 **A/N: I'VE RETURNED! JAPAN WAS GOOD TO ME! I LOVE IT THERE AND EVERYTHIN ABOUT IT! Well, maybe if they had more garbage cans, but otherwise it's great! I even got a Zoro figurine that didn't force me to sell organs!**

 **And now, we end the Jaya Arc, which means Skypiea Arc officially begins with the next chapter! Being one of the longer ones, this arc may take around the same as the Alabasta chapters, maybe more. This is considering a flow of original plans I have for the arc, and you can expect more things to be happening! But after this arc, we are getting another surprise, as the arc after this one is a completely original arc!**

 **So enjoy this, and I'll be back soon! I once again love everybody who've reviewed/favorited/followed this story! We love you all!**

 **Responses to Reviews:**

 **To Chance Green G. King:**

 **Actually, Skypiea has a snake already. But you are correct on the other answer! Manda, however, will be appearing very, very soon after the Skypiea arc, that much I can say.**

 **To JayH120:**

 **G: you know what they say, once you go black you never go back!**

… **You keep using that… I don't think you know what it means…**

 **G: What? Don't the kids all use it? Just like how Orange is the New Black?**

 **That- Uh- Never mind… you are too innocent sometimes…**

 **(OITNB is a great show by the way, I recommend it to anyone else who wishes to get into a new series.)**

 **To Raikaiguken:**

 **Gian is based on none other than the King of Monsters**

 **To Omegadramon2:**

 **You were closer with the first answer**

 **To Matt:**

 **During the timeskip, Gian's trainer, or trainers I should say, is someone that will be the focus of another original arc, not the one coming up, but another one after the Straw Hat Separation. That much I can tell you. On the topic of Hedorah, I've kind of made him dissociate from the World Government. He wouldn't really be the type of person to fight for justice…**

 **G: And that fic you were requesting, I'm sorry but we've failed you. Partially because Time Travel fics are waaaaayyy too common…**

 **To A Certain Triangle:**

 **G: I am totally doing that, don't mind if I do.**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **I just want to say, Skypiea will soon be… swarmed with what's to come!**

 **To Girlbook:**

 **This opponent may be more than just an opponent!**

 **To squeegywing:**

 **The Donquixote Pirates already have another Kaiju, but Spacegodzilla is actually more important near the end of the series, in fact if you've read the first part of Little Garden Arc, you can see I've added a bit about 4 monsters, one of them is Spacegodzilla. As for what he will do…?**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **And now, their new adventure awaits!**

 **G: Can't wait to play it!**

 **To Lucas FTW:**

 **Oh boy here we go again.**

 **G: He's back!**

 **T: Another riddle?**

 **0.5: What more can he possibly give us?**

 **Oh I recognize this one. It's in German again I think, seems like this is the only language he's got now. But this is You are a Pirate. It's an older LazyTown meme, but it checks out.**

 **G: Isn't We are Number One also from that show?**

 **Yup, that show is a meme goldmine, around the levels of Jojo and Spongebob. Truly an amazing sight.**

 **To biowolf864:**

 **You will find out soon! Thank you for sticking with us!**

 **To Guest:**

 **Clover is a bit of a tough one. But if I were to make an original arc about it, then it probably would be something like that.**

 **And that's it for all this! We'll see you next time!**

 **I'll let Gian take a bit of a break, but we'd love it if you'd review anyway!**

 **G: I'M FREE!**

 **T: it may be temporary though…**

 **0.5: eh, we'll enjoy it while it lasts.**


	47. Sky Kingdom

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Skypiea Arc opening: Skyreach (Akame Ga Kill! Op. 1)**

 ** _(The opening instrumental shows 3 strikes of lightning, the first illuminates Gian's Full Transformation, the second was a massive Pterosaur. while the third darkens the screen and two red compound eyes snap open)_**

 _Kokoro ni kakushiteta omoi shizuka ni kotoba de kizande_

 _ **(The Straw Hat Pirates were shown in a shot of the Sea of Clouds, before the scene switches to all of them staring at the rest of Skypiea as more lightning crashed down.)**_

 _Fumidasu tesaguri na asu he tsuyoku mayoinai hitomi de_

 _ **(a scene that shows a group of winged people, one side dressed in robes and the other in more tribal attire. Before it focuses on the tribal ones as more shots of people appeared, this time through what appears to be a flashback as an older group of them met and interacted with a group of explorers.)**_

 _Donna mirai demo uketomeru watashi de itakute. Ima wa mou furimukanai_

 _(_ _ **The scene now cuts to a winged figured, with his wings folded against his back, kneeling down while a young girl with wings reach out towards him, only to be interrupted when Enel rises up, grinning maniacally as more blue lightning crashes down.)**_

 _Hashiru shoudou ni makasete hirogaru sekai he_ _Kawaru unmei ni kotae ga aru to shinjite_

 _ **(Multiple action sequence, featuring the Survival game as groups of people do battle, with some of the Straw Hats fighting some of Enel's priests and Luffy fighting Enel himself. Lighting falling around them all the while.)**_ _  
_

 _Ano hi senmei ni egaita kawaranai yume wa_ _Fureta genkai mo kanarazu koete yuku kara_

 _ **(A panning shot of Gian and the winged person from before, facing away from each other as Gian's Full Transformation and the Winged beast from before materialized behind them, only facing each other instead. All this was wiped from view only to reveal the Sea of Cloud erupting to reveal a massive flying insectoid creature shaped like a mutant dragonfly, which screeches as more insect-like beasts buzz around it)**_

 _Yuruginai koe ni shite todokeru kitto_ _Itsuka tadoritsuku sono toki made_

 _ **(A view of a massive bean stalk in its entirety, before the screen pans upwards to show a large golden bell swinging. The final instrumental shows a snap of all the Straw Hats getting ready, before panning into a shot of all of them staring into the distance)**_

 **And we'll begin**

Clouds, clouds as far as the eye can see…

Even now they still couldn't believe it. What once was thought to be a mere fantasy has now become reality, as the Straw Hats looked around in wonder.

"In theory none of this should be possible… but here we are!" Nami gasped "We're actually floating on clouds!"

"The water concentration within these clouds must be off the charts…" Gian noted

"…And that means it should be dense enough to support a ship, or even an island." Robin concluded.

"Then, we should be able to swim in it, right?" Usopp grinned "And so Captain Usopp will now traverse the Sea of Clouds!" without another word he dove in.

"Wait, we don't know what's- and he's gone!" Gian threw his hands up.

"He'll come back up… right?" Chopper asked.

"He's still down there..." Sanji noted.

"And now he isn't coming up at all, we have to go get him." Gian sighed, so Luffy had to stretch his arm out in an attempt to fish him out. Even with that, it took Robin forming an eye on his arm that they were finally able to locate him.

"And what have we learned today?" Gian admonished.

"T-that this sea is bullshit…it doesn't even have a bottom." Usopp stammered.

"Actually I think it does, if by bottom you mean fall out of the cloud! Honestly you could've fallen back into the sea, and then what?" Gian snapped as Usopp yelped at the thought.

The clouds around them suddenly lifted as a massive tentacle shot out, grasping at the ship. Zoro immediately sprang into action, brandishing Wado Ichimonji in an attempt to discourage their attacker.

"That's an octopus! There are octopi living in the clouds!" Sanji pointed.

Zoro eventually managed to drive it off, but it left the crew wondering why an octopus was living like that to begin with. It wasn't until Usopp suddenly yelled in pain and removed a strange looking animal from inside his pants did they finally have an answer. The animal was a fish, a rather unappealing flat one, but had clear air sacs and shaped like a deflated balloon and gave Robin the idea on why there were animals living in the clouds.

"These fish… they are just like the illustrations in Noland's logbook." The archeologist noted "Because there is no seafloor here, these fish have evolved into this form to keep themselves light buoyant within the clouds, lest they fall to the seas below." She pointed out its flat shape.

"An adaptation…" Gian nodded "The octopus must be a similar case. In fact I'm willing to bet on just about everything that lives within the clouds have to have something like that."

"Well they look however they like, I hate it here already!" Usopp cried "There's so many weird things here! Who knows which one of them wants to eat us?"

"Come on, Usopp! Try eating this fish, it looks delicious!" Luffy grinned as he held up the Sky fish from earlier.

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SAYING!"

"Well, it's not like anything else wants to rear its ugly head…" Zoro grumbled.

"Uhhh, you might wanna rethink that idea." Gian pointed to behind them.

* * *

What brought everybody's attention was not another animal; it doesn't even seem to be moving. It was a massive dark colored, almost purple object shaped like a large sausage. As it floated closer the crew were surprised to see what appears to be discolored eyes on the object. Its entire form seemed to be some sort of shell, yet dull colored.

"W-WHAT IS THAT?!" Usopp yelped.

"Is…is it a log?" Sanji whispered.

"Logs don't have eyes, swirly cook." Zoro informed him.

"Chopper, go touch it." Nami urged.

"What? Why me? Gian should touch it he was the one that saw it first!"

"Yeah, throw me under the bus why don't you?" Gian scoffed, before tentatively reaching out a hand to reach the immobile object.

It was only when his fingers made contact did they recoil slightly; it definitely wasn't a log. Because a log would be made up of wood.

And whatever that thing was, it felt organic.

As if something was living underneath it…

"This is strange… it definitely isn't moving, but I could've sworn I felt something inside…" Gian grumbled.

"If I may add, it looks strongly like a cocoon of certain types of flying insects, could that be it?" Robin told him.

"What insect have you seen that's this big? Even the ones in Jaya weren't bigger than the Merry!" its size was definitely shocking, being even longer than the Going Merry by at least 10 meters.

And when Gian tried to touch it again, things only got stranger. The minute his hand made contact, the large object was the one that recoiled this time, making a sort of pulsating movement. This really made Gian step back.

"OK! Not touching it again." The crew were alert as the long shape continued to writhe ever so slightly. They were waiting for whatever it was about to do next, but nothing out of the ordinary happened.

Instead, the large object merely sank down back into the clouds, and soon it was out of sight.

"It's… It's gone!" Chopper mumbled.

"What in the world was that?!" Nami asked, clearly confused.

"Hell if I know… I just can't shake the feeling that something seemed to be alive within… whatever that is!" Gian shuddered.

"Maybe we should go after it?" Zoro asked.

Gian gave him the biggest "Are you freaking kidding me?" look he could.

"I am NOT going back in there!" Usopp declared.

"Usopp is right, these clouds are deep and they can house a number of unknown creatures that could be a danger. Our best bet is to hurry up and find some land and hopefully-" Gian was interrupted as the sound of something firing was heard, and soon, the clouds near them popped.

"Case and point, whatever the hell that was!"

* * *

The attacker was some ways away from them, but was definitely not friendly judging by the large bazooka he carried on his shoulders. He was a male figure, wearing only a grass loincloth and a devilish mask that concealed his face. What was surprising was that this man had two small wings on his back, but they weren't used as he wasn't hovering through those; that was done by a pair of skates.

"He's coming this way!" Chopper pointed.

"Gaaah! I want to beat him up, but for some reason I'm so tired!" Luffy groaned.

"I feel it too, it's like my body isn't moving as quick as it used to be!" Zoro grimaced as well.

"It must be altitude sickness." Robin noted "The air up here is much thinner than down there, it takes some time for our bodies to adjust to it."

"Time is something we do not have, that guy looks like he's trying to kill us here!" a small orb of atomic energy formed in his hands as Gian took aim and threw it, only for the masked man to dodge. "Yup… can't even aim properly."

Due to this disadvantage, the strange attacker made short work of the others. But before he could raze the ship, the flapping of wings can be heard.

"Unruly savage… why are you causing violence in the dominion of God?" a voice drawled. The Straw Hats looked up to see a tall man dressed in maroon colored robes, wearing a pair of red sandals. His hair was tied into a ponytail, and his face was stern.

And he was flying. Two featherless wings, like that of a dragon's, were keeping him airborne. Unlike the wings of the attacker, these were fully functioning.

"I should've know… his flying dog would be the one to interfere…" the masked man growled "Know this, that monster up there, he is no God!"

"It would be wise to watch your words. Even now he is listening." the man mumbled, but produced from behind him a gold Kusarigama, a ball and chain tipped with a serrated sickle, and began to twirl it around. Sensing the change in tactics, the masked attacker retreated beneath the clouds, but not before ushering one last warning.

"You lie to yourself! When eventually your God delves even deeper into madness, will you still stand by and watch?!"

The man narrowed his eyes, but stayed his hand even as the attacker left.

"Y-you saved us… you can fly!" Gian mumbled.

"T-thank you for helping us!" Nami bowed in gratitude.

"Yeah, thank you birdman!" Luffy grinned.

"Do not thank me. I did not wish to see bloodshed upon these clouds. Even though God is watching, he does not bother with such privy matters." The man grunted almost distastefully.

"God? There's actually a God here? And how are you flying? That other guy had wings too but he couldn't fly! There's so many questions right now!" Gian drawled.

"Just be careful from now on. I won't always be around to save you." the man muttered "I will however, be in the skies. Even a caged bird needs to feel the wind on his wings."

Before they could ask anything else, he flew off. The sheer speed causing the clouds to spray upwards.

"So fast…" Usopp noted.

"What did he mean by caged bird?" Gian wondered.

* * *

More flapping occurred, this time the crew turned to see a pink colored flying horse come towards them. On its back was an elderly man dressed in a banged up knight's armor.

"I saw the commotion from miles away, but it seems that Ryugetsu-dono has already handled the situation."

"Ryugetsu?"

"Yes, Ryugetsu is the Bird of God, he relays all information of the surrounding areas to God. He normally does not choose to intervene with anything, so it was strange that he would appear in front of you."

"And you are?" Zoro asked.

"Ah, where are my manners. I am Gan Fall, the Knight of the Sky. It's not often we get visitors from the Blue Sea, but if you ever need me, just call with this!" with that, the old man threw them a whistle.

"It's normally 50 000 000 extols per use, but your first one is on the house! Just blow on it and I will be at your service!"

"Wait, extol? What's an extol?" Sanji asked.

Gan Fall raised an eye "You mean you don't know what the currency up here is? I figured you'd been to some other islands by now."

"No we just got up here." Usopp told him "We rode the Knock Up Stream and everything."

Gan Fall's eyes widened "You came up through that monstrous waterspout? Impossible! No one has used that route for ages!"

"Wait… THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO GET UP HERE?!" Nami screeched at that revelation.

"Well what do you know?" Gian shrugged "Sometimes thinking a bit more actually pays off!" he chuckled before wincing in pain as Nami bonked him on the head.

"You guys are the first in a long time to reach Skypiea via Knock Up Stream… that's quite impressive!" Gan Fall admitted "I have to depart now, but if you ever need me, just blow the whistle!" and thus, the man rode off on his pink bird/horse.

"YAHOO! LET'S GO EXPLORE SKYPIEA!" Luffy cheered as the crew set sail further into the clouds.

 _Later:_

"Everything is so soft!" the childish trio all jumped around excitedly. The clouds were the main attraction, big, white and puffy kind of like cotton candy. Even better was their mode of transportation here; a speedy shrimp that lives among the clouds. It was certainly a sight to behold.

"Godland Skypiea…a bit over the top for a name?" Zoro pointed out.

"That's the fourth time God has been mentioned since we got here… I wonder what he looks like." Gian mused "Long beard with a robe? Or long beard with a toga and throws lightning bolts?"

"To think these people have made an entire city amongst the clouds…" Robin looked around in wonder.

Finally they got to the door, and what a door it was. Massive, star shaped, really brought out the atmosphere. Another person with wings greeted them. Much like the masked assailant from before, these wings were too small for flight. This only made the group wonder how in the world was Ryugetsu able to fly, when these other people cannot.

"Entrance fee, please!" the guard, an old woman, told them "7 billion extols to enter Skypiea for all of you."

"Honestly, what are extols? All we have are Beri!" Nami groaned. That sounded like a lot!

"So no money then? Very well, you may enter." the old lady grunted.

"…Well that was simple." Zoro snorted.

"Your charity is well appreciated and we will always remember it!" Gian bowed.

"Yeah, I don't care what you do. But be warned. Skypiea has a very strict set of rules here. If you enter without paying, you will be considered as criminals."

"Then why have it be optional in the first place?" Usopp snapped.

"Like I said, I don't care what you do."

"Whatever, let's just go in!" Gian sighed.

And the inside was even more amazing than the outside. Skypiea itself is situated 3000 meters above the gate, and only through the shrimp and a cloud slide were they able to reach it. It's a well-developed village situated amongst the clouds, and the most appealing factor was the massive beanstalk located in the center of the city.

"I need to be here." Gian whispered "I want to stay here forever."

They would like nothing more than to explore right away. However, a newcomer greeted them. Another winged person, this time a blond girl wearing a pink dress and playing a harp.

"Heso! Are you the visitors from the Blue Sea? I am Conis, and I am at your service."

"AN ANGEL! A BEAUTIFUL ANGEL!" Sanji swooned.

"Calm down, ero-cook…" Zoro snapped.

"If you all have any questions, please feel free to talk to me!" Conis smiled gently, before an adorable little fox scampered out from behind her and also went to greet the newcomers. It did stop at Gian and looked up at him.

"Awwww, to what I owe the pleasure of getting a visit from a cute little fellow like yourself?" Gian smiled sweetly as he reached out a hand to pet the small mammal, who cooed affectionately.

"Ahh, it's not so often that Su gets a chance to meet visitors, and you two seemed to be getting along fine already!" Conis smiled "You guys have probably never seen a Sky Fox before, have you?"

"Nope, but I'm glad I did now!" Gian grinned as he stroked the fox's silky fur.

The sound of clouds parting showed an older winged man appear, riding on what appears to be a water scooter of a mechanism.

"Hey! That looks like the thing we found in the wreckage near Jaya!" Nami realized.

The group then winced as the middle aged man crashed into a tree.

"My father Pagaya is back. I take it you are all interested in the machine he's riding upon, is it?" Conis asked "It's a Waver, we use it to get around Skypiea."

"That's it! We did see it back at the wreckage!" Nami grinned.

Luffy immediately wanted to try it out. This, as expected, did not go well as the rubber boy has little control over the waver. Gian, Nami, Usopp and Sanji also gave it a shot, but they also didn't have much luck. Nami however would not give up, and with a bit of practice she soon got it down and was piloting it skillfully.

It was also now that the Devil Fruit Users were told of an unpleasant secret: the large cloud that make up the White White Sea had the same effect as Kairoseiki to them, meaning the moment they were dunked inside, it would be the same as falling into the sea.

"You two are Devil Fruit Users aren't you?" Pagaya referred to Gian and Luffy "These clouds have the same molecular components as Seastone. I heard you can find them down near the Blue Sea."

"So if I land in one of the clouds, would I sink? Or would I just stay suspended, unable to move for all eternity…?" Gian mused.

"You're not actually thinking of trying it out… are you?" Zoro deadpanned.

"I'm not quite sure… though with the water molecules you could still drown… I don't know, nobody has ever been in that situation before… I'm sorry I couldn't help." Pagaya answered anyway. He then gestured them to a different direction of Angel Beach.

"How about we all step inside my home?" Pagaya suggested "We'll show you everything there is to know about Skypiean lifestyle!"

"You guys go on ahead!" Nami told everyone "I'm going to play around with the Waver More!

* * *

Skypiea's culture is certainly different. They expected no less of a city isolated from the world, but even this display was very impressive. Conis showed them many things, including the one things that all of them use for everyday life.

"These Dials have many uses, we find them from shells of certain shellfish that live around these parts. We use them for just about everything here!" Conis introduced "Take this one for example! It is a Tone Dial, and it plays pre-recorded sounds. We mostly use it for playing music."

Conis then produced more seashell like objects, each a different shape and color and uses. Naturally, the crew were intrigued further.

"These are all different in their own way…" Sanji noted "Do they all work similarly?"

"Some do. Like this Wind Dial for example" Conis brought out a blue Dial next "Put it out in the wind for a time, and it will produce wind for the same amount of time! It's how we power the Waver!"

"Then that means the one we have could be fixed too!" Usopp grinned excitedly.

"As long as the Dial itself is not broken, then fixing it is possible."

"So wait, all these Dials already have preexisting functions, is it possible to make a Dial from scratch?" Gian asked before enveloping his right hand in blue atomic energy "Say I want to make a Dial that stores Atomic radiation, is that a thing?"

"It could be," Conis answered "Though the ones around here all are used for what you've all seen. There are rarer ones found in other places, but to find the one that's suited for the one you asked for might need a bit of searching."

"A bit of a hassle then. I was going to put some on Atom Splitter, but I can already channel radiation through it anyways."

A bit more discussions on the different lifestyle of Skypiea, it was time for lunch. However, Nami still wasn't back yet and the crew was beginning to worry.

"It's been some time… how big is this place? Maybe Nami-san got lost?" Sanji wanted to go look for her.

"It's not that big, riding on a Waver generally takes gets you around pretty quickly…" Pagaya replied "She could've wandered to some other area like… OH NO!"

"What? What is it old man?!" the crew tensed up.

Pagaya was tense, and Conis was uneasy as well. The Straw Hats realized that there was more to this place than they thought.

"I hope she didn't…" Conis mumbled "She couldn't have gone to Upper Yard!"

"Upper Yard? What's that?" Sanji asked.

"There's a place that's off limits to the rest of us, it is called the Upper Yard. We aren't allowed to enter it, only God and his Priests can live there." Conis responded.

"This is what, the fifth time we've heard about God?" Gian pointed out "Seriously, who is this God and why do you worship him?"

"God is the one who rules over us all." Conis said timidly "Up in his chambers in the Upper Yard, Enel has cast a net over all of Skypiea."

"If Nami-san did in fact enter the Upper Yard on accident, she could be in danger!"

"Wow… so he's watching over everything? Sounds more like Big Brother rather than a God…" Gian mused.

"God's the brother of all of Skypiea?" Chopper asked.

"No, Big Brother is someone who puts people under constant surveillance or something like that."

"But why would a brother keep surveillance of people?" Sanji perked up "Isn't that more of what a-"

"Look I don't know why he's called Big Brother, he just is.!" Gian sighed "Now that I think of it where did that even come from?" and that was the end of that matter.

"So… nobody else can go there?" Luffy asked.

"That's right, it is against Enel's Will."

"Interesting… Nobody can go there…"

"I know that look." Zoro sighed.

"We were doomed the minute she mentioned it." Gian nodded.

Usopp slapped Luffy on the back of the head when realization hit him "DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! DIDN'T YOU JUST HEAR WHAT SHE SAID?!"

"But Nami is out there! We have to make sure she's safe! Let's go find her!" and he moved to the door, ignoring Usopp's protests.

"He's just wants to go see the Upper Yard… doesn't him?" Sanji sighed.

"Yup, it's already too late." Gian shrugged "Guess we're going to see God."

* * *

However, stepping out of Pagaya's house, they were soon met with new troubles. The crew barely managed to get anywhere before a troop of winged soldiers marched towards them.

"Halt! Are you the trespassers from the Blue Sea?" the leader, one wearing a blue navy coat, addressed them sharply.

"We're trespassers all of a sudden? The old lady let us in!" Gian protested.

"We have video proof of you entering the city without paying the toll. Do not try to deny it."

"…But the old lady _let us in!_ "

"Captain McKinley, surely this must be a mistake!" Pagaya tried to coax the guard "These people are good people! They've been in my home for the past hour!"

"I swear to God the old lady set us up, she has to have!" Gian shouted angrily.

"It's too late for that…" Chopper sighed.

The captain nodded sagely "You have committed the crime of trespassing, merely a class 11 crime. To resolve this, you merely need to pay ten times the entrance toll, and then your crime will be absolved."

"And that is?" Usopp asked.

"Ten billion extol each."

"We still don't know what that is! All we have is Beri!" Zoro growled.

"1 beri is equivalent to 10 000 extol." The captain explained.

"…How devalued is your currency?" Gian raised an eye.

"Hmm, there are 8 of us here, that makes it to be 1 million beri for one person." Robin deduced.

"8 million beri huh? We'll have to let our treasurer handle this, and by treasurer we mean our navigator, don't ask why." Gian told the soldiers.

* * *

It was during their wait for Nami did they realize that Skypiea had some very strange laws. Their criminal levels were raised by doing the slightest things, it was really getting annoying after only a while.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! ALL I DID WAS SNORE! I WAS TIRED!" Luffy shouted.

"Public disturbances is also a crime, you-"

"This is ridiculous, don't you people have better things to do? Like stopping someone from robbing a bank or something?" Gian had to resist the urge to rip his hair out.

"We do not have banks here, and you've just committed another crime. Obstructing the White Berets brings you up to class 5."

"Wait, class 5? We were just at class 11! Why is the crime numbered so differently?"

It was just now that Nami finally returned on the Waver; she looks rather disturbed.

"Luffy… we should be careful around here!"

"Oi, Nami! These guys are here to collect the entrance toll." Luffy told her.

"Oh? How much is it?"

"8 million."

Time paused for a second. Then it shattered when a furious Nami rammed the Waver into the captain.

"8 MILLION? THAT'S WAY TOO MUCH! WHAT ARE YOU PEOPLE CHARGING HERE?!"

"You've just assaulted a White Beret. This raises your crime level to level 2!" the captain said curtly.

"Again, your numbering system is completely off!" Gian shot back.

"Do not resist, we will now deliver you to the Priests for judgement."

But Luffy was having none of it, and struck back immediately. Although the White Berets outnumbered him, they were no match for the rubber captain, and soon lay defeated.

"Ok, we got that handled… we need to leave now!" Nami said "I just witnessed a bolt of lightning strike down two people! I overheard someone say this is God's Judgment!"

"But Nami…! Think of how fun it is to go on an adventure here!" Luffy whined.

"That was God Enel's doing…" Conis mumbled "He normally gets his Priests to chase down criminals that are sent to the Upper Yard, but other times he just eliminates them himself!"

"His priests…" Gian suddenly remembered "Wait, that reminds me. We ran into a guy called Ryugetsu earlier, didn't Gan Fall tell us that Ryugetsu is associated with God? We might run into him, or he'll turn us in!"

"No, Ryugetsu-dono is not one of the Priest. His title of God's Bird is only his role of surveillance. God Enel sees all, but with an extra pair of eyes, then nothing escapes his sight."

"So… he's not going to kill us if we run into him while leaving?"

"I do not know. Others have said that Ryugetsu-dono is almost unreachable. We sometimes see him flying overhead, but he ignores us. He also tends to be distant towards the rest of God's soldiers as well." Conis explained.

"Although… it would be wise not to arouse his anger… this is only a rumor, but some people say that Ryugetsu-dono has a different being inside of him, that creates gales with a simple flap of his wings…"

Gian suddenly perked up at this.

"Different being? What do you-?" but Nami butted in.

"If we keep talking here, we're not going to make it out! We're leaving now! How do we leave?"

"You can leave through Cloud's End. I don't know what else to say but…take care." She then smiled and turned to leave. The crew missed it, but they couldn't help but feel that there was a hint of regret in her voice.

 _Later:_

"You seem distant, something on your mind?"

Robin approached Gian while the Merry was waiting to cast off. Luffy, Sanji and Usopp had went back to Conis' house to get some supplies for the return trip. During this time, Gian was deep in thought.

"It's nothing, just thinking about Ryugetsu…"

"You're putting a lot of thought into a winged warrior that is an emissary of God."

"It's not just that! Conis said back there that Ryugetsu is rumored to have a different side of him. What different side does she mean? Something is up about him, I could feel it even back then."

"Are you suggesting that-?"

"I don't want to believe it, and there's a big chance I could be wrong with all this. But I just can't shake the feeling that Ryugestu is hiding something else. Something that I've experienced up to this point."

"Back when he rescued us… I didn't react to it at first, but when he left I caught onto something. There was a raw primal feeling emanating off of him, faint but it was there. It was a feeling that invoked a sense of… Freedom for a lack of a better word." Gian finished.

"That isn't something so strange, different people bring out different feelings to others." Robin replied.

"If it were that simple, then I wouldn't think of it. No, the reason I'm so intrigued by this was that, Back in Alabasta, my encounter with Mr. 0.5 let me feel something similar." It was then that Robin payed more attention "Back then, it was a raw feeling of Killer Intent, but the primal aspect was there all the same. This time, it was that sense of Freedom I felt from Ryugetsu. I can't help but wonder-"

"If Ryugetsu is a Kaiju-Zoan user?"

"Like I said, this is only a hypothesis. But still, I can't shake the feeling that Ryugestu is more important to this whole matter than we think…"

Before Robin could respond, the Going Merry suddenly lurched forwards. They couldn't believe their eyes as Merry dripped into the clouds.

"Uhh, did someone raise anchor?" Nami asked.

"We didn't do anything!" Zoro called back.

"Then did someone install an Autopilot on the Ship?" Gian suggested.

"I don't think that's a thing…" Nami told him.

"Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji are still back there! We've left without them!" Chopper shouted.

They were unsure of what is happening until something suddenly surfaced in front of the ship!

"It's one of those shrimp that pulled us up to here…" Robin realized.

"And it's taking us in a different direction…" Zoro noted.

Nami suddenly paled "I recognize this place… it's the way to the Upper Yard…"

"Then it is happening." Robin said calmly.

"…What is?"

"Heaven's Judgement."

Far above them, secluded within the trees in the Upper Yard, a winged figured landed.

"It's them… I should've figured they would end up here…" Ryugetsu sighed as he focused on one individual; the brawler with the polearm strapped to his back.

He too has took notice of him, though he wasn't focused on that.

Instead, he looked up further towards a dark patch of clouds.

"Even the visitors have something to fear from you…" he seethed.

"How many more lives… are you going to ruin…?"

 **A/N: SKYPIEA BEGINS!**

 **We're 3 chapters away from chapter 50, and I hope this first part gets people thinking. I've included another small part about our upcoming conflict in the series, it may seem pointless right now but be aware, and something I detailed near the beginning of the chapter will be of major importance to the arc! Hint, it isn't Ryugestu!**

 **G: Dude… you put a bunch of that in the opening already… any seasoned Godzilla Fan could figure it out.**

 **Then kudos to them, the other people can have a nice time guessing! In the meantime, look out for the next chapter. While Gian and Ryugetsu aren't going to meet up again for a bit, this adventure isn't over quite yet! So keep watch!**

 **Responses to Reviews:**

 **To Girlbook:**

 **And more to that, this new Kaiju-Zoan user does not exactly think highly of him!**

 **G: HE'S A HATER, GET THIS BITCH!**

 **Umm… Enel isn't a nice guy… you'll see.**

 **G: Oh, well we haven't gotten there yet, so how should I know!**

 **To Chance Green G King:**

 **Yeah, cat's definitely out of the bag now.**

 **G: Don't you mean Pterodactyl's out of the bag?**

… **sure.**

 **To masoliki1:**

 **I might skip the bit with Blackbeard, you already know what happened after all! But yes, Blackbeard is getting a Kaiju-Zoan in his crew. This monster is based on one of Godzilla's stronger opponents.**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **The wings will be explained in a future chapter. But it isn't artificial, despite the Icarus monologue I wrote at the end!**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **I think those who have been paying attention have a good idea of who the two girls are, that's a given. But I'm glad you liked what happened. You can expect Gian's moments with Robin to get a bit more common as later chapters pop up.**

 **To Matt:**

 **At this point, I don't think it's a surprise anymore.**

 **To Azurai Wolf:**

 **You've made it!**

 **And yes! It is a Boku No Hero Reference.**

 **G: Not a Jojo reference, like I thought!**

 **To TsundereCharuru18:**

 **G: I've got more fans!**

 **That's actually really nice to hear! I understand the stigma about OC fanfics, considering I've read a handful of less than well done ones myself. In the beginning I did want to make the story actually be about Godzilla monsters in the One Piece universe, but as I planned it I realized it just didn't work. And so, Gian and the other Kaiju-Zoans were put in place as a way to maintain the One Piece feeling and still have a good amount of recognition towards Godzilla. But I'm glad you liked it!**

 **G: ah, so I'm a backup plan. Good to know.**

 **Own it brother.**

 **And that's all for this time, we'll see you next time!**

 **Remember to Review for granny goodness!**

 **R: Who's granny goodness?**

 **Wait… why are you here… you barely made an appearance!**

 **R: I was told of this place after the story that's pretty zany and I thought I'd check it out.**

 **G: See? Told you it'll be great.**

 **R: it sure isn't bad so far. I will have to continue judging it through later chapters though. I'll see you all until then.**

 **G: Sure thing mate, see you on set!**

 **Ok…that happened… what the heck just happened?**


	48. The Upper Yard

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Skypiea Arc opening: Skyreach (Akame Ga Kill! Op. 1)**

"So this is it, Upper Yard…"

They had come to associate Skypiea with clouds, considering this is so far up in the sky and all.

Rainforest and vegetation, not so much. If it weren't for the fact that around them were dark, mysterious clouds it wouldn't be farfetched to say that they're in a jungle of some sorts.

But here they were, dredged onto a stone platform, completely marooned.

"Ok, I know this may be hard for some of us, but from the looks of it, we're stuck." Gian explained "However, this platform doesn't seem to be that far from the clouds. If we push hard enough, we can get it there and sail away!"

That plan was quickly shattered when Chopper yelped and pointed towards the cloud cluster. The group quickly realized what a mistake that would've been, as multiple dorsal fins began circling around them.

"Sharks… why does it always have to be sharks…" Gian grumbled.

"Also, I do not wish to question your plan, but it has one flaw in it." Robin said, before pointing to the hull of the Going Merry.

"Oh no…" Nami whispered; the Merry had suffered damage, its entire bottom has been carved to pieces. Even if they had made it to the clouds the ship would simply sink.

"So we're stranded then?" Zoro shrugged.

"It would seem so, until those sharks somehow find a way to reach us and rip us apart." Robin stated.

"But those guards earlier said that we're supposed to be sent here to be dealt with by the Priests!" Nami reminded them "What if they get to us first?"

"And that's our predicament. Either we stay here and wait for the sharks to turn us into chum or stay here and wait for one of those priests to show up and smite us." Gian shrugged "Not the worst way to go to be honest."

"Don't be so negative!" Nami scolded.

Zoro scanned the forest around them. The platform they were on, some kind of alter similar to those used for sacrificial ceremonies he's heard about before, was isolated from the surrounding area. Looking more closely however, he could see a couple of vines hanging from the higher trees, just high enough and strong enough to swing to shore.

"Well, Luffy and the others might eventually come look for us. Meanwhile, it's best if we do something as well. To be fair, I'm kind of looking forward to meeting God…" the swordsman smirked.

"What are you suggesting?!" Nami shouted.

"We can't just stay here, so it's best if we go and look for a way out. If there isn't anything, then I'll come back to the ship. The rest of you stay here and guard the ship in case Luffy shows up."

"Are you crazy? God will punish you for such insolence!" having witnessed the massive bolt of lightning before, there was no way the orange haired navigator was going anywhere away from the Merry "I've seen what could happen to people here! This is dangerous!"

"Never believed in God before, don't think I'll start anytime soon."

"That's the spirit! Embrace Atheism!" Gian chuckled "Though there should be someone to go with you, after all if you do leave now you'll never find your way back."

"Well that would be-HEY!"

"So I'll go with Zoro in case he gets lost. Sounds like a good plan!" Gian continued.

"May I accompany you two on this?" Robin asked.

"Eh, why not? Just stay out of my way." Zoro responded.

"Why would you want to come with us though?" Gian asked "Never took you as the religious type."

Robin smiled softly before looking around, paying closer attention to the sacrificial altar and the forest.

"This place seems ancient, perhaps hundreds, even thousands of years old. That's always fun, it's worth taking a look around!"

Gian couldn't help but give a slight smile at that. Robin normally came across as a silent figure, not one to normally get into the shenanigans of the crew and generally a much more serious person hiding behind a mask. But it seems that even she has a passion of her own. It was just like when they discovered the wreck back down in Jaya; when it came to anything historical Robin would genuinely be interested.

" _Seems like there's still more I'm learning about you every day."_ He thought.

"It may also be worthwhile to look for some jewels to repair the ship later on." The woman continued, a good point, considering how damaged the ship just became.

And it was the mentioning of treasures that Nami also wanted in on this. Chopper volunteered to stay on the ship and try to repair it. The swing over to the forested area wasn't too hard, save for Nami who had to get some assistance from the archeologist to get across.

"Alright, let's look around." Zoro motioned and everyone followed.

 _Later:_

The more they stayed here, the more they realized that the forests of the Upper Yard held more than it seems…

"What's this…?" Robin wondered as she came upon a peculiar sight "Those ruins… why are they in a place like this?"

The rest of the group glanced over to see a few ornate stone remains, now covered in moss and vines. It's clear they have been here for quite a long time.

"It's not usually things like that are found, what could it be?" Zoro asked.

"That's what I'm trying to find out."

"Perhaps this place was previously home to another civilization" Gian mused "Before whatever lives here now took over?"

"That's quite possible, though how did they disappear?"

Nami suddenly perked up.

"Everyone, I think I just remembered something…" She realized "When I came here by accident before, I managed to get a look around. One thing I found I originally didn't give much thought to, but now I realized where we've seen it before! Come on!"

With that she led them through the forest, until they finally emerged in a clearing. Nothing was out of the ordinary here, save for a house that only had half of it, now also quite a relic.

"Strange… that kind of architecture isn't what's being used up here…" Robin frowned "It looks more like the ones down in the Grand Line…"

"That's exactly it! Look closely at it, what do you guys see?"

Gian narrowed his eyes… there _is_ something familiar about that house. Where could he have seen it before?

Then it hit him.

"Wait… wasn't there a similar looking house down in Jaya, close to where Cricket-san lives?"

"Now I remember!" Zoro agreed "We did pass by a house that looked like it got cut in half on our way to the old man's place!"

"Yes! That's exactly it!" Nami confirmed "Now that I've gotten a good look at it, there's no doubt it's the exact same one!"

"But how could two of the same buildings be in different places?" Gian asked again.

"It's not how it's in different places, it's how it is brought up here." Robin said "Think back to something that Cricket-san told us, about the City of Gold. Didn't he tell us that no one has ever confirmed that it doesn't exist?"

"Where are you going with this?" Zoro questioned.

"People aren't able to disconfirm the theory only because all this time it's in a place that made it unable to be found in the first place."

"I'm not sure I'm following…" Gian chimed in.

"Think about it, the method we used to get up here. A waterspout that large and powerful could easily lift something heavy into the heavens. Our ship made it up here, what's the possibility of a city, or even part of an island?"

And realization set in for the group, as something big just revealed itself to them.

"I-I don't believe this! This is way too much of a stretch!" Gian whispered.

"Perhaps, but it is also the one that makes the most sense." Robin responded.

"So that means…"

"Yes, Cricket-san has been looking underwater for his City of Gold but could never find it. That's because it never was underwater. It has been up here in the sky all this time!"

 _Elsewhere:_

"It would seem that Satori has been defeated… I no longer sense his consciousness in the Mantra. " a bald man with wings with a longsword commented.

"Those visitors from the Blue Sea, they are stronger than they appear… we will have to deal with them later, for now we must deal with these unwanted guests." Another winged warrior, wearing dark blue robes with dreadlocks, agreed. He prepared to face off against their enemies, but:

"Gedatsu… you are facing the wrong way…" the bald man scowled.

"Oh, how careless of me. Do me a favor and keep some of them busy for me, will you Ohm?" the other warrior, Gedatsu, turned around.

Before the two soldiers of God were another troop of winged people. They however, were dressed in much more old fashioned attire compared to the Skypieans the Straw Hats encountered earlier. Many had tattoos imprinted on their bodies, and they look like they were born for battle.

In fact, battle is what this area has seen for the past few hours. Multiple fighters on either side had been wounded or put out of commission. Neither is willing to budge however, and the conflict continues to escalate.

"We will take back what's ours, Priests of Enel!" the leader, a wild, savage looking warrior sporting a mohawk snarled at the two priests "You have plagued the Land of the Shandia for far too long!"

"Setting foot in God's Holy Land uninvited and threatening us?" Ohm grinned "You will soon learn the severity of your crimes, Berserker!"

"That won't be an issue of concern when I blow you to pieces!" the warrior hefted his bazooka onto his shoulders, ready to fire. Likewise, Ohm also raised his sword, the blade beginning to wave around.

But they never got to strike, as a massive gale quickly picked up around the area, forcing the warriors to brace themselves. The familiar sound of wing beats were soon heard, as the two priests of Enel grimaced.

* * *

"All this blood… spilled in the name of a few chunks of land… I will never understand you all…"

"Ryugetsu! Why did you interfere?" Gedatsu shouted, this time biting his bottom lip.

"Your senseless violence desecrate this area. I am here to put a stop to it." The flying warrior snorted, earning a look of anger from the berserker as well as two growls from the priests.

"I am not letting you take this fun away from us! Shura already beat us to the sacrifices, you are not-"

"Shura is now answering his call from Enel-sama…" Ryugestu spat "Preferably you two will do the same. Do not try to argue, you have never been able to best me in combat, need I remind you of that?"

Ohm and Gedatsu were visibly displeased, but seeing as Enel himself ordered their appearance, they relented.

"And why has Enel-sama not called for you?" Ohm questioned one last time.

"He has… I will join you shortly, after I've settled the matter here."

"So you are trying to punish these savages in place of us!" Gedatsu shouted.

"I do not indulge myself in such acts of hubris, now leave this place!" the winged warrior thundered, his eyes flashing dangerously. Giving him one last glare of contempt, the two priests left for God's Altar. Ryugetsu sighed before landing.

"His followers are the same as he is… so out of touch…"

"What business do you have standing against us, God's Bird?!" one of the Shandians, a spear wielding man with red goggles, shouted.

"I dislike the violence you've all brought upon this land. Blood shed for an island like this." Ryugetsu mumbled "It would be best if you all leave, there must be no more violence today."

"You speak of violence… yet you serve that abomination you call a God?!" the berserker snarled "How dare you even presume the level of our fight?! I will burn you from this forest!"

Ryugetsu's eyes began to glow a dull shade of blue "I will ask you one last time, Wiper the Berserker…do not threaten this forest with bloodshed anymore!"

"NEVER!" the warrior, now known as Wiper, immediately fired off a volley of fireballs from the large rocket launcher from his shoulders. The burning shots seared towards the winged Bird of God, igniting once they impacted.

"Know this… I did not wish for it to be this way." Wiper's eyes widened as he swiftly whirled around, but not quick enough. A vicious kick to the side of his head sent him flying into a nearby tree. Ryugetsu only sighed, his robes slightly singed by the flames, before drawing his golden Kusarigama out.

More Shandian warriors rushed him, weapons drawn and shooting. But they soon found out that they are completely outmatched. Every strike they throw, every bullet they shoot, it would seem as if their opponent wasn't even at the place they were aiming.

Ryugetsu was like a phantom, flitting around his opponents and avoiding everything with bursts of speed, delivering kicks and wrapping limbs around with the ball and chain portion of his weapon to throw people off balance. Surprising, the blade portion of his weapon went unused; no blood was being shed anymore.

"H-how… how are you so fast?" a Shandia woman, Laki, winced as she held her side.

"Will you now leave this place?" the acolyte sniffed "I am not even using my Mantra for this. You are merely witnessing my natural speed."

Laki raised her rifle tentatively as Ryugetsu drew closer, until a few more explosion rocked the tree behind her. Wiper had gotten back up and was now charging furiously at him, hovering on his jet ski and growling. Ryugetsu snarled before leaping up with a flap of his wings. With a sweep of his arm, the Kusarigama wrapped around the bazooka and wrenched it from the Shandian Berserker's grip.

"I said… no violence upon this place…"

"I won't hear a single word from you!" Wiper roared "You have no idea how much we've bled for this day! This place was once our home, and for hundreds of years my ancestors have been trying to get it back from the Skypieans. Even as your _God_ claimed it for himself!" Wiper was absolutely livid, even most of the warriors have not seen him like this before.

"You have no right to say anything! Not when you serve a madman like Enel! You preach non-violence to us, but the next moment you'll be bent over and kissing his boots like the lowly dog you-"

He didn't finish, as a sudden boom in the air caused Wiper to slam hard into the forest floor. Eyes widened in horror as Ryugetsu, his wings clapped together, began to change right before their eyes.

* * *

"Do not… associate me with Enel…" Ryugetsu's arms were becoming much more leathery and tanned, while talons sprouted from his hands and feet. His head became more tapered, with a beak jutting out from his lips as his wings unfurled to new sizes " **I AM NOTHING LIKE HIM!"**

The next thing Wiper did was upchuck blood as Ryugetsu's knee drove into his stomach, before being grasped by the neck and thrown at astounding speeds into a group of Shandian Warriors.

"No!" the goggle wearing Shandian warrior from before shouted before charging at the transformed warrior, spear outstretched to impale him. Kamakiri was one of the strongest warriors in the tribe, but even he wasn't able to land a hit on the flying acolyte earlier. Desperation to save his comrade was what drove his spear forwards.

But if he wasn't able to hit him before, he certainly wasn't able to now. More so, the minute Ryugetsu moved, it was as if a miniature sonic boom was left in his wake, Kamakiri too was knocked away, clutching his ears.

Wiper struggled to get up, only for Ryugetsu to plant his foot down hard on the berserker's chest. He glared hatefully at the transformed acolyte, not that the winged warrior paid any attention to him.

A few shots from a rifle peppered against his back, causing Ryugetsu to pause, before giving an exasperated snarl and sending a gust of wind in the direction, knocking Laki off her jet ski. The Shandian woman crashed to the ground, causing a small pouch to fall out and spill its contents; a pocket of dirt…

Wiper was freed from the grasp of the acolyte by a flaming blade as Kamakiri struck back. The berserker wasted no time in firing more flaming shots towards the flying warrior. The two of them together seemed to be fighting Ryugetsu into a standstill, with neither side seemingly having any edge.

A few distances away, Laki groaned as she got up groggily. She gasped as she saw the spilled contents of the small pouch, despite what it seems it held great importance to her. As she scurried to pick it up, this action was picked up by the adrenaline filled Ryugestsu, thinking that it was a surprise attack. Hurling the Kusarigama will blinding speed, only to realize too late that it was the sickle portion rather than the ball and chain that whistled towards the warrior.

Laki could only watch as the blade drew closer to her head.

 ***THUNK**

"K-Kamakiri…"

It took all his speed to intercept the weapon, but Kamakiri managed to reach her. The cost was that the blade was now sticking into his chest, narrowly missing his heart. The shock was enough to shake everyone from fighting. Ryugestu was wide-eyed as he hastily removed the sickle.

"We're retreating! Everybody retreat!" Wiper barked. The long battles throughout the day had already been taking their toll, but now one of their strongest have been wounded as well. They had no chances left.

Laki was still shell-shocked by the move, before guilt began to take over. She had jeopardized the plan with one simple mistake. Vaguely she could make out the footsteps of their attacker approaching her, but she was in no mood to fight anymore.

" **Woman… why were you gathering Vearth in the middle of a battle?"**

Laki ignored the question; she wouldn't expect him to know what her people has gone through. Instead she only continued to gather the soil.

"You have no idea… what we've been through…" she hissed "You have no idea… what we've lost! And what it's like to lose what is ours!"

Ryugestu closed his eyes for a bit, before transforming back and letting out a dejected sigh.

"You'd be surprised…"

He then turned as he spread his wings again, preparing to fly.

"Leave now. For what it's worth, I did not mean to spill the blood of your comrade, but it's too late for that now."

But Laki wasn't finished and shouted one last thing towards him.

"Why… Why are you serving Enel? This isn't what the God Bird is supposed to represent! Aisa said that you've-"

"I do not know of what your interpretation of the title of God Bird is supposed to offer, nor do I care what this Aisa has to think of me." Ryugetsu didn't look back "But know this, Enel is not my God, he never has been, and he never will be."

Then with a flap of his wings, he ascended back to the skies, leaving the warriors on the ground looking dumbfounded upwards.

Some distances away, Ryugetsu stopped before landing on another branch. Crouching down, he let out an exhausted sigh.

"Dammit… I lost my temper and went overboard…" he growled, angry at himself "Can't they see I'm trying to stop more lives from being taken? Enel has already destroyed so many lives, all I'm trying to do is keep everyone out of trouble..."

"That however, is getting more and more difficult by the day…"

* * *

 _Meanwhile, later that evening:_

"And everything adds up! The theory is correct!" Nami beamed as she presented her findings, and there was much wonder to be held. The combined map of both Skypiea and Jaya showed one single island formation, which confirmed their idea of the Upper Yard once being a part of Jaya.

Everyone has gotten back to the ship at this point, and even Luffy, Sanji and Usopp has found them. Back together again, everybody has plenty of information to share.

"And Noland's City of Gold, it's somewhere up here too!" Gian grinned.

"Within the Skull's Right Eye, the gold can be found…" Robin recited "From the looks of it, that would be the right eye of the island. The City of Gold must be located there!"

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go get that gold!" Luffy declared.

"Hold it hot shot, it's nighttime right now. Sanji already told us you guys managed to beat someone called Satori, but Chopper here got attacked by another priest, Shura or something like that." Gian reminded him.

"Yeah, and Shura managed to damage the ship. If it wasn't for the Knight coming to save me I would've been done for…" Chopper mumbled "I'm sorry… I didn't mean for the ship to get any more damaged…"

The Merry was now also missing its mast, it was a surprise that she could even hold herself together at this stage. According to Chopper, many of Shura's attacks had hit the ship, and also wounded Gan Fall, who was lying unconscious on the ship as of right now.

"Don't worry about it, Chopper. Both of you mentioned the priests have the ability to call forth these phenomenon through Dials, we'll have to prepare for that. You also mentioned that the Priests are able to use something called Mantra, which allows them to sense whatever move their enemies will make, thus knowing how to counter them… This could be complicated." Gian replied again.

"There's also those guerilla guys, the Shandia, we've encountered, and they don't seem very friendly." Sanji piped up "Their leader said he'd kill us if we get in their way."

"So, with God, God's Bird, God's Priests, God's Army, a group of guerillas, and whatever else is in this jungle, that's at least six things trying to kills us in this place. And our job is to get a bunch of gold…" Gian thought "Well, seem simple enough, it can't be harder than whatever else we've faced before."

"Luffy! This place is too dangerous!" Usopp whined "We're never going to get that gold!"

"There are a lot of elements to consider, but we can do this! My gold depends on us, so I've thought up a plan!" As long as money of any sort is involved, there's nothing Nami cannot do!

"Tomorrow we'll form two teams, team one goes for the gold, while team two will escort the ship down river and wait for us!" Nami beamed "Luffy, Gian, Zoro, Chopper and Robin will be team one. Sanji-kun, Usopp and I will be team two!"

"Of course… the witch is making us get her money…" Zoro snorted, only for Nami to cuff him.

"I will make sure you are safe this whole time, Nami-swannn!" Sanji cheered.

Gian chuckled "Well, what's a little life without being on the high road? We'll have to make a more detailed plan tomorrow."

"YOSH! We've had some good luck! Let's have a party!" Luffy cheered.

And thus everybody pitched in gathering firewood for a big bonfire. However, not everyone was for the idea.

"A large fire could attract unwanted attention" Robin stated "Best not to raise one."

"Whaaattt? But that's no fun!" Luffy whined

"Luffy, Robin's had a hard life up to now, she wouldn't understand why we're doing this!" Usopp reminded him.

"What am I to understand?" Robin addressed sharply, causing the liar to shut up.

"Robin is right! The Priests are still out there! Not to mention those guerilla guys and who knows what!" Nami snapped.

"But we can't have a camping party without a campfire!"

"Ok… don't want to play Devil's Advocate here. But I don't think it's gonna be that bad." Gian sighed "From the way Sanji described it the guerillas have their hands full and will probably prefer their own business. Meanwhile, the fire's light can also help us see the Priests coming. We'll be ready for them this way."

"I agree, and not to mention, most animals are afraid of fire." Sanji added.

"Then what are those?!"

* * *

A group of glowing red eyes alerted the crew, making them tense up and ready for conflict. They revealed themselves to be wolves, white furry ones similar to regular wolves. The pack leader growled softly, but did nothing.

"Hold on…" Chopper noticed something, and as the wolf barked again he smiled "It's ok! They just want to party with us!"

"Alright! This is going to be so much fun!"

And the party commenced, and much merriment was had. Robin was off in the distance, a small smile playing on her lips.

It's been only a few days since she's joined this crew, but it feels like she's been here for much longer.

She's no stranger to the idea of a pirate crew, having sought out sanctuary in multiple of them. But never once had she felt comradeship with any of them. In the past she has one goal: survive and find information on the Rio Poneglyph. Those other crews helped protect her so she could continue her research in peace. She wasn't above leaving them if things were not in her favor.

Her relationship with Crocodile had been the same, as had anybody else who's come into contact with her.

So what is it with this one that made her feel differently?

From the very beginning, the Straw Hats have been different from every other pirate crew she's encountered in both mannerism and ideals. They seem like a group of honest people, reliable to say the least. A group that, by all regards, would've never survived in the Grand Line for this long. But they had defied anything and everything thrown their way.

Robin couldn't name it, but the longer she stays with them, she couldn't help but feel a sense of longing. She can't place it, but she feels that she _likes_ being around them.

And she'd be glad of their company, and for once she'd genuinely be a good nakama.

This certainly would come to be a problem for the time she'd have to leave them, but that won't be an issue.

Would it?

* * *

Some slight cursing jolted her from her thoughts, as she glanced over to see Gian having a slight tug of war with one of the smaller wolf puppies over a piece of steak. Even she couldn't help but stifle a small laugh at that.

'Beast Warrior' Gian never ceases to amuse her.

"It's alright! It's not like I wanted to eat it anyway…" the Kaiju-Zoan user grumbled as the wolf became the apparent victor of that little event. The canine seemed happy enough after eating before curling up in his lap for a nap. Gian smiled softly as he sifted his fingers through its fur.

"Giving in?" she asked.

"What choice do I have?" Gian scoffed "If I won there would've been another one coming at me later. That's pack mentality for you." he then noticed that the two of them were away from the others, who were still having a good time.

"You don't enjoy the party?"

"It isn't often I get to experience such things."

"Ahh, right because… right."

"Also, there's a lot to think about." Robin replied.

"Nervous about tomorrow?" Gian inquired.

"One of those things, yes."

"I get you, there's so much against us up here." Gian sighed "It'll be easier down where we belong, but this is a whole different ball park. They do things differently up here. Not to mention, there's still the chance that Ryugetsu could be a problem… even if he did save us…"

"It's strange… Captain-san doesn't seemed bothered at all." Robin noted "Something like this is pretty serious, but it doesn't seem like he's worried."

"I'm sure he is, Luffy's just handling it in his own way: approaching it with no fear or hesitation." Gian smiled "It's sometimes better that way it think. It's weird, he's such a kid sometimes, but you'd learn some pretty valuable things from him."

His eyes suddenly lit up.

"Do you want to pet this one?" Gian beamed as he lifted the napping wolf pup.

"Oh… I've handled a few animals before, but never a wolf."

"I always found mammals to be rather understanding." Gian told her "Lizards on the other hand…"

"I've think I've heard this story already." Robin smiled.

"Well, it's true. Old bastards bitten me more times than I've gotten sick."

Robin touch managed to arouse the slumbering wolf pup awake, and the little animal gave her hand a tentative lick, making them both smile.

* * *

A noise from beside them made them realize Gan Fall was awake now. The old knight smiled in amusement at the scene.

"You've even tamed the sky wolves…"

"More like, they came to us." Gian replied.

Gan Fall nodded as he sat down beside them.

"I've caused a lot of trouble for you guys. I never thought you'd be brought here."

"We're alive, aren't we? Besides, if it weren't for you Chopper and the ship wouldn't be here."

Luffy then noticed the knight is awake.

"Oi! Old man! Come and party with us!"

"My my, I wouldn't imagine anybody else making this much noise in the domain of Enel." Gan Fall chuckled.

"Are Conis-chan and Pagaya-san safe?" Sanji asked.

"They are. I've moved them to my home, and Enel cannot detect them there."

Gan Fall's features them became serious.

"I overheard you guys talking about Jaya… I wasn't expecting that you know the history of the land."

"It took us a bit of time to piece it together." Zoro told him.

"I see, be it Jaya, Upper Yard, this land has seen some turmoil for a long time. We call it something else: the Holy Land, do you know why?"

"It is because of this." And Gan Fall scooped up some soil from the ground.

"Some dirt?" Gian asked.

"Things like this are commonplace for those who live in the Blue Sea, but to us up here, they happen due to the Knock Up Stream bringing them to us. We call it Vearth, and it is sacred to all who comes upon it."

"Island Clouds like the ones we live on can sustain plant life, but cannot birth it." The knight continued "Thus, the obtaining of an amount of Vearth of such a high amount has resulted in much conflict."

Gan Fall sighed "This land once belonged to the Shandia, those so-called guerillas you spoke of. They have much reason to be hostile towards anybody."

As the crew continued to listen to the tales, they couldn't help but think this whole ordeal is going to get much, much more complicated.

 _Meanwhile:_

"And that's how Ryugetsu stole our glory!" Gedetsu snapped.

"Wow, you guys are pathetic" a winged man wearing aviator clothing laughed "It just goes to show that out of all the Priests, I'm the most powerful. With Satori already lost consciousness, I'm now Enel-sama's third in command after that Bird!"

"Watch it Shura!" Ohm growled "Don't think killing a few criminals make you anything."

"Those criminals also included the Knight of the Sky!" Shura shot back "You've haven't even done anything close to that!"

"Enough! All of your bickering will make Enel-sama displeased!" a large rotund winged warrior bellowed.

"Do not pay them any mind, Yama." Ryugestu floated in "Imbeciles like them are happy with just the smallest fraction of success. It's sickening to watch."

"Ryugestu-dono." The large man bowed.

"Watch your mouth Ryugetsu!" Gedetsu shouted "You aren't even a Priest!"

"And I have no intention to be one."

Before Gedetsu can shout back a rebuttal, a massive crack of lightning slammed around them, causing all of the priests to yelp. Ryugestu looked up stoically, however.

"E-Enel-sama!" "Enel-sama…"

"My subordinates, I take that your hunts have been successful?" there are few words that could describe Enel. He was a tall individual with a bandanna wrapped around his head and a golden staff in his hand. A massive ring of drums were imbedded into his back, each crackling with electricity. He had an arrogant expression, as if he knew his power, and he had great reason to be.

"W-we would've if Ryugestu hadn't-"

"Of course, I've sensed it. Why did you not kill them, Ryugestu?"

"They've seen the might of God's forces, they won't be so foolish to repeat their mistakes." Ryugestu drone out.

It made him want to throw up just talking to him.

"You're still so hesitant… it's a waste of the power bestowed upon you…" Enel sighed "No matter, they won't be something I can't handle. Your focus, should be on the visitors from the Blue Sea."

"Enel-sama, I have already-"

"You thought you did, but they're still there" Enel drawled "And their next target will be the Gold. Likewise, the Shandians are also coming back. There's about to be a lot of chaos down there."

"Which is why, tomorrow, all the laws I've set in place will be removed. You three can do whatever you wish. You may participate as well, Ryugestu."

"Participate?" That does not sound good. Ryugestu frowned.

"E-Enel-sama! To what do we owe this honor to?" Shura grinned.

Enel sneered "My arkship, the Maxim, is almost complete. It will finally be time to leave this place behind, and go to the dream land of Fairy Vearth!"

" _Oh…"_ Ryugestu grimaced " _This is not good… this really isn't good…"_

 _Meanwhile:_

"Do you know what you've caused, Laki?!" Wiper furiously shouted as he ripped the bag of dirt from her grasp.

"Because of your loss of focus, our attack has been ruined!" he continued "Because of your loss of focus, Kamakiri has been wounded!"

"I take responsibility for everything…" Laki whispered.

"It's this things' fault! You've ignored the safety of a fellow warrior just for a few pieces of Vearth!" the berserker prepared to crush it.

"NO! Please! I was getting it for Aisa! She wanted-"

"Her desire had cost us an entire operation!"

"Wiper, enough!" the goggle wearing warrior staggered up.

"I can still fight… the wound isn't deep…"

"This isn't-"

"I'm serious, this wound is nothing." Kamakiri assured him.

"…Very well. But please be careful tomorrow." Wiper nodded, before turning to Laki "We will continue our battle tomorrow. When we get our land back, there will be no need to worship such small pieces of dirt."

"Wiper, we've had a heavy blow dealt to us, perhaps we should-" Laki proposed.

"No, I will not accept help from the same people that have driven our ancestors out of their homeland." Wiper snarled "Regardless what Gan Fall's affiliations with Enel are, he's to be considered hostile. The same goes for those that came from the Blue Sea."

"She has a point." A Shandian Warrior named Braham spoke "Even with Satori defeated, the other three priests are still powerful in their own right. That's not even mentioning God' Bird. He single-handedly faced off against a whole bunch of us today without even breaking a sweat!"

"There has been no better time to strike back against Enel, not even God's Bird can stop us!" Wiper shouted "Tomorrow we will use new tactics, bring the God Bird down if we have to-"

"The God Bird is not a bad person!" a small voice squeaked.

"Aisa, no!" Laki whispered "This place isn't for you!"

"I know the God Bird isn't trying to harm us! He's just having his own-"

"He struck against our family, Aisa" Wiper spat "He's just as much of a monster as the rest of them are!"

"But he saved me once!" the little girl cried out. Aisa was a young girl, barely in her teens with short auburn hair and a white cap "And the stories that-"

"And they are just stories, nothing more!" Wiper cut her off "Those tales that our past generations have given us, those stories of how a massive winged beast swooped down to purge the land of those vicious insects, are all but tales! That dog out there is not the God Bird, and he is our enemy!" and there was no room left for any arguments.

Aisa bit back tears as she ran out of the camp. Laki sighed before chasing after her.

"You shouldn't have spoken like that, this is a very serious time." The woman gently chided.

"I know… but he's wrong! I know the God Bird isn't bad! He doesn't want to be with God! I sensed it the day he saved me while I was gathering Vearth!" the small Shandian girl was adamant.

"You were shocked that day, it couldn't have been-" even she couldn't understand Ryugestu's actions. An acolyte that never took a life the day he arrived with the rest of God's Army. He is an enemy, and he should be treated as such, but why couldn't she feel any hostility?

"But I sensed it! With my Mantra! I sensed his yearning to be free!" Aisa responded "He's trapped with God, and he's wants to get out. I just know it!"

"… I hope you're right, Aisa."

* * *

However, tragedy would strike in a different form. Away from the camp, one lone Shandian scout was patrolling. Their location was out of Enel's reach, but there could be other threats about, especially at the edge of the forests of Upper Yard. The scout was just about done and prepared to head back. He had an attack to prepare for tomorrow.

Only he would never make it. It was on his way back did he see it.

A large hole in the ground, big enough for a man to fit inside.

Against his better judgement he went inside to take a look. And as the darkness enveloped him, even his small torch couldn't light it up completely, and there was only silence.

Then the skittering came.

The scout began to panic, but in the dim light he couldn't find his way out. The skittering grew closer, they sounded like claws ticking on a window.

Then he saw it, the entrance to the hole, and he bolted towards the entrance. It was then that he dropped his torch, as the flames hit the ground, he got a glimpse of his pursuer.

An insect, a dog-sized, nymph-like insect, with large bulbous eyes and sharp mandibles.

Oh, and the better word would be _Insects._ For there were a swarm of them.

And as the scout screamed, the creatures pounced on him, dragging him into the ground and into the abyss.

He would never be found, and he would only be the first victim.

For these insects have waited a long time to return to the surface. Driven underground by their hated predators, the vicious flying beasts now unknown to most civilizations, they had retreated down here.

They had been there when the Upper Yard was launched into the sky, and they have been here now. Waiting, biding their time.

This one lone warrior has not enough biomass energy to fuel their Queen, not nearly enough. They will have to gather more.

But they are patient, and soon they will strike.

And once their Queen rises, they will once again dominate the land and skies.

 **A/N: and wow! Another chapter in the Arc! I hope you like more of Ryugestu! He'll be much more of a role than Mr. 0.5 was, at least I hope!**

 **Just a heads up. I have a potential job coming up next week. It is a full time one, and that means I'll be working and making money soon. What this also means is that my writing time will be cut into, and there may be less updates for the rest of August, maybe even September. However, if I chip enough time, we should get enough done next chapter and move onto our first major Kaiju fight this arc, which is coming up fast!**

 **In the meantime, thank you for your continued support of this story! We hope to see you all again soon!**

 **Responses to reviews:**

 **To Guest:**

 **Yeah, the first few arcs are a bit dry, I won't deny that. If you lasted this long, then congrats, I guess? I mean, I feel that once the action picks up, it stays fresh.**

 **But the idea of Devil Fruits are that they aren't instantly mastered over time, it takes lots of training for them to be fully effective. Hell, it took Luffy many years just to not punch himself with the Gomu Gomu no mi, and took an additional 2 years to develop Gear 4. It's the same with Gian and his Kaiju-Zoan. He isn't going to learn how to use it very well in the beginning, and it took Triton showing him how to do it was he able to even pull off a transformation effectively for even a while. And after that, it still took him about 8 years to learn how to stay conscious while in a Full Transformation. Gian may be grown up, but he's still learning things even now, and will continue to learn as the story progresses.**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **What can I say? I love me some New Gods.**

 **G: And I do like using Darkseid in Injustice 2.**

 **Trust me, Biollante won't have much beef with the Straw Hats. Spacegodzilla and Destoroyah however, they are going to be problems.**

 **To tamagat:**

 **In the beginning he could only keep it up for about 2 minutes (anime time of course!) by the time we first see it in action during Arlong Park, his limit is 10 minutes. It will continue to rise until he feels natural with it.**

 **To Girlbook:**

 **Soon, very soon! And I hope you now know what it is!**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **There just isn't hiding things from you, is there?**

 **G: He knows… he knows all!**

 **Oh, trust me. Gian won't be pleased.**

 **To SolanaLeonhart:**

 **There's a good reason for Ryugetsu's attitude against Enel, you'll see soon enough.**

 **R: I'm readin ahead as we speak, I'll get back to you on that!**

 **To Lelouch-strife:**

 **Stuff like that takes time to develop! But there's some fluff this chapter!**

 **G: I legit haven't taken her to dinner yet. We literally had no time.**

 **To TsundereCharuru18**

 **G: I have never been more blessed *throws a post card.**

… **What was in that?**

 **G: A gift card for ITunes, I don't have anything else.**

 **Broke ass boy…**

 **To JayH120:**

 **G Do not worry, such moments towards the opposite sex cannot be avoided in awkward situations.**

 **That did not come out right…**

 **G: Yeah… that was pretty bad… this won't drive a wedge between us won't it?**

… **For your sake, you better hope not.**

 **G: ahhh**

 **Well, I'm glad this story is making people look into Godzilla a lot more! There's actually quite a lot of interesting (and not so interesting) monsters out there! More will be joining us!**

 **To kaiju judgement:**

 **Kong will eventually play a role, but Gamera is still on the table. Kong's repetition will actually be important for another existing OC you've seen in an earlier chapter.**

 **But Anguirus and Rodan will definitely appear, and if you haven't guessed it by now, Rodan is closer than you think!**

 **And that's all this time! We'll see you again soon!**

 **Leave a review for some sweet, sweet Doggos.**

 **G: Borks for all!**

 **R: And Bamboozles!**


	49. Path to the Gold

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Skypiea Arc opening: Skyreach (Akame Ga Kill! Op. 1)**

"I'm serious! There was someone here last night!"

"But did you see who it was?"

"Well… It was really foggy, but I could've sworn I saw a figure using a hammer and patching Merry up!"

That was the conversation the Straw Hats had the following morning. It was a very strange sight to behold, and with good reason too. Just the night before they could've sworn that the Going Merry was all battered up, but this morning? Every sign of damage the ship sustained was patched up.

"It was a ghost! A ghost must have fixed her!" Usopp repeated "I thought I was dreaming but Merry's fixed!"

"So it's a friendly ghost? Like Casper?" Gian mused "But ghosts shouldn't be able to touch things in the living world."

"Is that true?" Usopp asked "I never thought- wait, who's Casper?"

"Regardless, there's someone out there helping us now." Zoro noted "Or he's just playing around."

"Anybody who fixes our ship is a good person in my eyes." Nami smiled.

"But how does he know how to repair it? He must have never seen the ship before, so how do they know where everything goes?" Luffy wondered.

"Maybe he's somewhere in the forest, watching everybody?" Chopper pointed out.

"Well, that's one less thing we'd have to worry about." Nami set them back on track "Now the next important thing, is to carry out our plan!"

And thus, operation Fort Knox (as Gian gladly named it, much to the confusion of the crew) was underway. As the Straw Hats went off, they couldn't help but feel as if Merry herself is watching them, wishing them well…

 _Later:_

"Zoro! You're going the wrong way!"

"How is this the wrong way? The Skull's Right Eye should be on our right!"

"But west is that way!"

"Luffy… you're pointing east… Zoro… you're not even facing right…" Chopper sighed at the two arguing pirates.

The road to the gold is no easy matter. Of course, with those two at the helm, they're sure to run into problems.

"Yeah… this would be so much easier if we had the map with us…" Gian sighed.

"Don't worry, I already have it memorized. The Skull's Right Eye is south of where we are now." Robin told him.

"Yeah, you're the only one that we can trust here." Gian agreed "You hear that? We're heading south."

The trek down south wasn't as hard as it would've been. Unbeknownst to them, the entire Upper Yard has just been plunged into conflict, yet somehow none of that has reached them yet.

"Wow… it's so serene here…" Chopper looked around in wonder.

"Yup, it was like that yesterday too. You should've came with us!" Gian smirked.

"I was feeling scared that the forest would be dangerous, but it seems much safer than on the ship!"

"You're so brave today Chopper!" Luffy praised "Though this is so boring! When are the priests gonna show up?"

"Nothing attacked us at all yesterday." Zoro noted "Maybe they have other duties?"

"Yeah… except for the mosquitos…" Gian grumbled as he slapped his shoulder "Little bastards are everywhere… still, it's actually better if we run into less trouble, even though I kind of want to see what a priest looks like up here."

"Fufufu… it's like you're all waiting for something bad to happen." Robin chuckled.

* * *

And, as is expected, nothing is perfect forever. The group was soon alerted to the snapping of undergrowth in front of them. What revealed itself was far too dangerous.

The snake that appeared before them was massive in size, easily dwarfing all of the gold gathering group. Its blue scales shimmered in the light as it opened its massive jaws, some kind of liquid dripping off its fangs.

"Ok, does anyone want to tell me why the animals here are so big?!" Gian shouted as the snake slammed its head towards them. They hastily jumped out of the way, only for the beast to lunge at them again.

"It's tenacious, we might need to-" atomic energy began gathering around Gian as he tried to transform, but Robin quickly stop him.

"If you do that, it will alert everything and everyone in a fair distance on where we are."

"…You're right, then we have to run! Everyone split up!"

"Careful! That snake is venomous!" Zoro warned. Indeed, whatever the snakes' fangs have touched all completely disintegrated as the poison did its work.

Even with splitting up, the large serpent was still fast enough to lunge after its potential prey. And soon it was on their tails again.

"Ok… that didn't work, we have to fight!" Zoro growled as he drew a blade and charged at the serpent. However he soon found that his slashes don't even leave a mark on the creature's scales.

"Let's turn up the heat then! **Atom Heat Wave!"** a wispier version of Gian's **Atom Ray** spouted from his mouth, causing the snake to throw its head back in irritation. Just like before though, nothing substantial was done and the snake soon resumed its attack.

"It's too big! It's just shrugging off every attack!" Robin noted.

"I'm gonna have to at least do a Partial Transformation!" Gian urged "It might actually-" he never got the chance to finish as the snake rammed down towards Robin, forcing her to make a makeshift vine out of arms to swing away. The blow, however, managed to knock him off his feet however, and he quickly found himself rolling down a hill.

* * *

"Shit! This is-!" Zoro charged again, but the snake is prepared as a tail swing sent him flying over the trees as well.

"Guys! Ok! You're making me mad!" Luffy snapped as he swung his arms back. He let out a war cry as he rushed at the serpent, who met the attack with a staggering headbutt. Despite Luffy's strength, the snake was clearly bigger in this case, and sized mattered as even he was sent flying into the distance.

"N-no…" Chopper, left all alone, witnessed everything. Gian, Zoro and Robin were all elsewhere, and Luffy was now also gone. He was left alone with the snake, who just happens to be eyeing him next…

* * *

"H-HELP! SOMEBODY! ANYBODY! GIAN, ZORO, ROBIN! ANYONE! HELP ME!" the little reindeer wept. But nobody was around; the group had been scattered and he's by himself.

Chopper squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the snake to devour him.

Then cracked open his eyelids, to see that the snake isn't even paying attention to him. He breathed a sigh of relief, then noticed that more was up.

The snake was writhing around, emitting a low sound of irritation and pain.

It was then that Chopper noticed more about the creature, or rather what it bore.

3 long gashes lined its back, still red and raw. A few more scratches covered the rest of its body and head.

This snake had been injured, but not during the skirmish earlier. These wounds seemed older, like a day or two.

They were clearly the source of pain for the animal, and from the looks of it they hurt, really hurt.

Slowly Chopper got over his fear, his doctor responsibilities taking over. Those wounds weren't deep, but they could get infected. Even a large animal like that would be in trouble sooner or later.

"Y-you're injured…!"

The snake glared at the little deer, making him flinch.

" _Mind your own business!"_ it hissed sharply.

B-but how did you get them? I haven't seen anything here close to your sized!"

" _So I got hurt in a little scrap, what's it to you?!"_ the snake hissed before groaning again " _Damn flying demon…"_

"It doesn't matter! You're hurt! If we don't do anything it'll get infected and you could be worse!" Chopper is now in his doctor mindset, even if this creature had tried to eat them. It's his philosophy as a practitioner of medicine, surely the others will understand if he was a bit late…

" _Look, I'll be fine! I've been hurt before and this is-"_ the snake protested, but Chopper was already scampered off to look for solutions.

* * *

Finding medicinal supplies in a forest wasn't easy; Chopper had left most of his tools on the ship. Fortunately, his knowledge of many wild plant based medicines came in handy here. And he soon found what was needed. He also didn't have much bandages on hand, so leaves will have to do for now.

Soon the snake's wounds were dressed. To say that it was surprised is an understatement.

" _You helped me… why?"_

"I'm a doctor! I won't ignore those that are hurt! Are you feeling better now?" Chopper smiled.

"… _It certainly no longer hurts as much…"_ the snake turned away.

"What could cause such a wound to a large animal like you?" Chopper asked.

The snake looked back " _A few days ago, I was hungry. It was a bad day for hunting, but I came across one meal in particular. I have always seen him circling the skies of this place as if he was watching over the area. I don't discriminate on what I hunt you know? And it was just my luck that he landed, and I snuck up on him."_

The snake then hissed violently " _But then, as I lunged at him. He revealed a terrible secret! Even as I got closer I had felt some unspeakable energy emanating from him, but it was only when I attacked did I know what it was. Right in front of my eyes he turned into a monstrous flying beast, like a great eagle but with no feathers and a shrieking cry. Try as I might I was outmaneuvered, and his claws lashed out at me. That was 2 days ago."_

Chopper's eyes widened in horror; there was something in the forest that transform into a bird monster! That's something else to worry about!

"You must have been through a lot, try to take it easy now. I'll actually stay with you for a bit if you find your bandages are bleeding…" he tried to coax.

"The truth is, those people you attacked earlier… they are my friends. I had thought you were going to eat me at first, and maybe you still will later. But as long as those wounds are there, I'll make sure you feel even a little better. My job is the doctor of my crew, I'm not good at fighting like some of my other friends, and I get scared a lot. But when it comes to tending to the wounded, I will make sure they are completely healed!"

The snake, upon hearing this, bowed its head.

" _I tried to eat you and you dressed my wounds… you have my gratitude. My name is Nola, please excuse my behavior earlier, it's just my instincts. I hope I didn't hurt your friends too bad."_

"It's all good! I believe in them, they are out there somewhere! But make sure not to move around too excessively or your wounds might open again!" Chopper explained.

" _I will keep that in mind… Say, what's a small tanuki like yourself doing in this forest anyway?"_

"Well we've been looking- HEY! I'M A REINDEER!"

After Chopper laid out the last few days, Nola came to an understanding on what they're here for.

" _A City of Gold? Hmm… I remember there was such a place I've seen in my youth. There were still people living there and it was all shiny."_

"That must be it!" Chopper smiled "Do you know where it is?"

" _It's been some time since I've been there last… but I think I can remember. Tell you what, as thanks for bandaging me up, I shall take you there!"_ Nola stated.

"Really! That's so nice of you!" Chopper squealed "Though try not to move too much! Don't want your wounds to open again, would we?"

" _I will make sure of that?"_ the snake nodded, and Chopper now had a companion!

 _Meanwhile:_

"Uggghhhh" Gian rubbed his head as he got up. It was some distances away from where they encountered the large serpent. He wasn't hurt; what little injuries he had healed quickly. However, he's lost everyone.

"Great… where am I now?"

"I think it would be good if we went back to where we were attacked."

"Robin! You're ok!" Gian whirled up. The archeologist was on a tree branch looking down.

"Yes, I managed to get out of the way quickly. You were the only one I managed to find so far."

"That's fair. Everyone might have gotten away at this point and are in different places." Gian nodded.

"There's also a possibility that they are being digested by the snake right now." Cue Robin's morbid personality…

"…I'm ok with most things you say. That went too far…"

Upon returning, it seemed that everybody is absent. The only thing that remained was multiple slither tracks, indicating the snake's presence.

"They are gone…" Gian noted "Everyone is still separate."

"So what do we do now?" Robin asked "should we wait in case they come back? Or should we look for them?"

"As much as I would like to, that would take too long." Gian sighed "Nami and the others are still waiting for us, and the more time we take the more danger they would be in. I have faith in Luffy, Zoro and Chopper that they can survive well in the jungle, so its best if we go after the gold first, then try to find them together."

"You have a lot of trust in their abilities."

"I believe in Luffy, he'll make it. Chopper's still a kid, but he's strong willed. And if Zoro can survive through sheer willpower after being cut up, he'll live in a jungle." Gian stated "If they can't survive here, no one can."

Robin nodded "Very well, then you'll be pleased to know we're still in the right direction. We just need to head south."

"Awesome" Gian grinned "Who knows? Maybe the others are their way already?"

 _Meanwhile:_

Exactly east of the City of Gold, Zoro kept running. He was confident he'd get to the City of Gold first, when it couldn't be further from the truth.

"Looks like nobody else is here… probably all went the wrong way!" Oh, Zoro.

That blunt strike from the serpent ached slightly, but it wasn't worse than anything he's experienced thus far. And now, although a bit bruised, he's ready to journey to the City of Gold.

Hopefully the rest of the group will meet him there.

* * *

His musings were brought out of as gunshots peppered the ground. Looking up, he saw a winged warrior aiming two pistols at him, ready to fire once more.

"Great… one of the Guerillas. And I was hoping not to run into any of them." the swordsman thought as he drew one of his swords; Wado Ichimonji ready to slice apart the bullets as they were fired at him again. But this time, he realized that they weren't simply bullets, but blinding light emitted by the gun barrels. This resulted in him nearly being blasted by the hail of bullets that followed.

"I know you… Wiper told us about a group of people who came from the Blue Sea. He also told you to stay out of our business." Braham warned.

"I don't know what your deal is, but you best get out of my way." Zoro warned.

The winged warrior only leapt up to fire more barrages, forcing him to dodge again.

"I underestimated you, you are more adept at fighting than I thought." Braham grunted.

"Likewise…" Zoro growled

" _Now I see his plan… he's using the light to blind me, so afterwards I am unable to avoid the bullets in time."_ He realized. Now drawing all of his swords he prepared to charge again.

The tactic certainly proved annoying, and soon, Zoro was struck in the leg. Grimacing in pain, he knew he had to finish this fast.

"You're at your wit's end there. If it means anything, I did not want to do this." Braham sniffed.

Zoro glared at the Shandian "Did you know? Your six sense can either be good, bad or neutral. They can also be either pure or tainted. This is known as the 36 earthly desires."

"What are you getting out of this?"

"You've got some nice guns… But I have a 'cannon'!" Zoro smirked as he got into a stance.

"You can bluff all you wish, but it won't help you at all!" the Shandian shouted as he fired again.

" **Ittoryu… Sanjuroku Pound Ho!"**

A pure blade of wind screeched towards the warrior, now caught completely off-guard. It slashed him open as it impacted him; Braham was out upon hitting the ground.

"Nothing personal, but you tried to kill me, and I intend to leave here alive." Zoro grunted. He then set off again, confident he's still on the right path.

 _Meanwhile:_

"Owwwwww…" Luffy rubbed his head as he landed. The snake had launched him far away, he wasn't even sure where he is now.

The plan didn't work as expected. Then again, nobody thought about a snake.

"Now where was I supposed to go again?" he pondered out loud "Ah, Robin mentioned something about South… where is that again?"

He wandered around for a while longer, still unsure of where to go.

"I think south is wherever it is warmer! Yeah, that's it!"

And thus Luffy set of in a random direction, hoping to meet his nakama at the City of Gold.

That is, until multiple explosions ruptured near him, he looked up in alarm to see a face he saw yesterday.

"You… I thought I told you to leave this place!" Wiper snarled; He had been fighting the entire morning. The planned attack was still going, but they had run into much more resistance. Apparently Enel seemed to know that he was getting company today, and had sent all his forces to meet them in combat. The entire Upper Yard was now thrown into violence as the Shandians and God's Army battled it out.

He himself had sustained some injury. His fight against one of Enel's priests, Shura, ended in victory for him, a narrow one, but a victory nonetheless. He didn't expect to be fighting again so soon, and against a new enemy nonetheless.

"I have to be somewhere, it's none of your business that I stayed!" Luffy countered.

"This island once belonged to my people! It has everything to do with us!" the Shandian warrior shouted.

"I don't care about that. I have to meet my friends!" he tried to walk away, only for more Cannonballs to fire upon him.

"You did not heed my warning, and for that I will ensure you do not leave this forest alive!" Wiper snarled as he fired more cannonballs. Luffy only puffed himself up, the **Gomu Gomu no Fusen** allowing the cannonballs to deflect harmlessly off of him.

"That' won't work!" Luffy declared.

"So it seems… then I will try something else!" Wiper grunted as he inserted a Dial into his Bazooka. The next projectile was a blast of wind that slammed Luffy into a tree.

* * *

"I'm sure you've already witnessed what Dials can do, and what they can be used for?" the Shandian remarked "They can fit our weapons with multiple enhancements, like this one for example."

Luffy had to dodge the next volley of shots, consisting of white hot flames. Wiper smirked as the Flame Dial in his weapon did its work.

"That's too much power!" Luffy cried "But I've got something myself! **Gomu Gomu no… PISTOL!"**

The fist shot out like a slingshot, but Wiper was used to fighting on his jet skates. The extra maneuverability granted helped loads as the Shandian zigzagged through the trees, avoiding every punch, kick or jab that Luffy threw at him. The two traded blows almost constantly, neither giving an inch.

" **Gomu Gomu no… Bazooka!"** Luffy threw the powerful attack, just as wiper fired another blast from the rocket launcher. The resulting impact was a large explosion that rocked the forest, even denting a few trees. The explosion knocked both fighters off their feet, but they soon got up again, adrenaline pumping in their veins.

"Had enough?" Wiper growled. Luffy only grinned.

"Not even close!"

The battle continued, the two fought while dashing through the trees. Luffy's mind was only on how to reach his nakama, but that was getting harder to do so with the guerilla chasing him. He hopes to ditch him fast, but he may have to really fight if this continues…

Meanwhile Wiper was hot on his trail, but all is not what they seem. Wincing slightly, he pushed through the pain as he pursued his target.

" _Damn… that Reject Dial I used against Shura earlier did more damage to me than I thought…"_ He grimaced while clutching his arm " _I have to end this fast… or else I won't have enough strength to face Enel…!"_

 _Meanwhile:_

"Wow! So you've been up here for that long? What was it like?"

Underneath her vicious exterior, Chopper soon found that the giant snake Nola to be a fairly gentle creature. Mostly keeping to herself, she's lived upon this land for centuries. Chopper was amazed to hear that she's well over 400 years old, and eagerly asked her a slew of questions.

" _Let's see… back then the trees were bigger! But then again I was still small. I remember there used to be blue water surrounding the island, but somehow that all disappeared. Oh yes, and there was those people that lived in the Golden City. They had a shining golden bell that played the most beautiful sound! Oh how I wish I could hear it again!"_

"The City of Gold…! It must have been such a fun place back then!" Chopper exclaimed.

" _I remember seeing the people there a few times. All decked out in weapons and looking ready to fight. One of them had a mane of bright red hair, he certainly was quite a savage. The interesting thing was that a person like him could become friends with someone like that other man."_

"That man?"

" _Yeah, there were a group of people that came from a large galleon that traversed the waters to the island. One of them had his hair bunched up like a chestnut, he and his group of followers became acquainted with the tribe in the time they were here."_ Nola replied.

"A chestnut… Wait! That's Noland the Liar! Cricket-San's ancestor!" Chopper remembered "He actually has been here! And met the people that used to live here! We have to tell him once we get back!"

Nola was a fast traveler; her great size allows her to travel over rugged terrain with ease. Soon the duo had reached a cloudy clearing.

" _I think we'll be there in just a little while. Bear with me for just a while longer."_ Nola grinned.

That was when the clouds beneath her gave way, causing a startled hiss to erupt as her body sank into the condensed water vapor. The reaction caused Chopper to tumble off.

"W-what's going on?" the reindeer whimpered.

" _I-I can't move! These clouds are clinging to me! Forcing me under!"_

* * *

"Haha! Look at that, Gedatsu-sama's trap caught the Master of The Sky!"

Chopper looked up to see a group of winged people, wrapped in white robes, grinning at the two. These soldiers were weird looking fellows, with jerky movements and goat-like horns on their head.

"That big dumb snake is always causing problems for us, not so tough now are ya?" one of the soldiers cackled. Nola hissed in fury as she tried to lunge towards her captors, but found that the more she struggled, the deeper she sank.

"Let her go!" Chopper shouted.

"Oh? What's a raccoon doing here?" one of the soldiers questioned.

"Didn't Gedatsu-sama say that a group from the Blue Sea had trespassed into the Upper Yard? I think the raccoon is one of them."

"I'M A REINDEER!"

That was when Gedatsu made himself known, as he leapt over the group of soldiers and landed directly in front of Chopper, causing the deer's eyes to widen.

"You must be one of the Priests…! **Sei** " he realized in horror.

The winged priest only stared at the deer, which went on for several seconds. Tension was high as Chopper waited for him to make a move. But he didn't speak, instead he continued to stand and stare until Chopper had enough.

"…SAY SOMETHING BASTARD!"

The priest's eyes widened as the soldiers behind groaned.

"Gedatsu-sama… you need to open your mouth in order to speak…"

"Ah! How careless of me!"

"ARE YOU A MORON?!" Chopper facefaulted.

The priest sneered "This is the Ordeal of the Swamp… as you can see, there are areas here that have swamp clouds, which traps you when you step in them. The Master of the Sky is a good example."

Chopper then noticed the purple clouds that Nola was trapped in. The massive snake was livid, and attempted to chomp down on the Priest as she lunged forwards. Gedatsu only laughed as he leapt up and delivered a devastating punch that sent the reptile reeling.

"Stop! She's hurt!" Chopper shouted. Not even Luffy was able to make the snake flinch like that with one of his punches, yet this priest…

"Now that you have arrived here, prepare to face judgement!" Gedatsu announced. Chopper only gulped at that; getting to the City of Gold just got a whole lot harder.

 _Meanwhile:_

" **Seis Fleur:"** a group of arms wrapped around a goat like soldier, as Robin stood calmly nearby, crossing her arms " **Twist!"** the soldier let out a gurgle as he slumped to the ground.

"Do you have to be so sadistic?" Gian asked as he threw three of the soldiers over his shoulder. They don't know why, but suddenly there seem to be more attackers as the minutes go by.

"I finished them fast, rather you are giving them internal injuries that could result in a slow and painful death." Robin replied, more of the soldiers incapacitated behind her.

"…It's not like I aim for anything vital…" Gian grumbled as he slammed the butt of Atom Splitter into a soldier, knocking him unconscious "I think that's the last one."

"They may find us again soon, let us move out."

* * *

Their journey seemed to be the easiest. With Robin on the right path, they were actually close to the ruins.

"Yeah, I totally made the right decision following you." Gian grinned.

"And why is that?"

"Well, no offense to the others, but they aren't so useful in this situation. Chopper gets scared easily, Luffy gets distracted easily, and I don't think I need to tell you what's wrong with Zoro." Gian snickered "That, along with the fact that I also don't know the way."

"Oh, so you stuck by me for convenience sake." Robin smiled.

"Hey! Don't pretend you don't enjoy my company!" Gian pouted "I think I bring a whimsical air to this bit of the trek."

"That's up for debate." Robin snickered, causing the Kaiju-Zoan user to gawk indignantly.

"Oi! I'll have you know that my comedic one liners are what brings- Are you listening to me?" he paused when he realized Robin wasn't paying attention. Instead, she was looking at something on the ground.

There were multiple ruins that were passed by them earlier, all similar to the one they found before. This one however, looked different.

"It has writing on it… what does it say?" Gian asked.

"Shandora… the name of a city…" Robin read aloud "A city that once prospered over 1000 years ago, before disappearing 800 years ago without a trace…"

"So… is this the-?"

Robin motioned forwards, where a massive expanse of fallen buildings, vines now entangling them, lay before the two. Gian's eyes widened as he took everything in. although only a shadow of its former self, he could tell that, during its glory days, it was once a city that was a shining jewel in the land.

* * *

"We have to go deeper into the ruins, perhaps we'll find more information." Robin told him. Gian only nodded before following.

The city seemed to stretch for miles, each building holding a piece of history. Robin was quick to analyses as much as she possibly could, and while Gian didn't understand much of it, he could see the appreciation in her eyes.

It brought a small smile to his face as he watched her work.

" _She's focused, more focused than she normally is."_ He remarked silently " _To her, it's as if just getting her is the real reward."_

But before they could continue, a loud BOOM alerted them as a crater formed in front of them.

"We've got visitors!" Gian warned as they leapt back. The smoke cleared to reveal a rotund man grinning savagely at them.

"I come seeking challengers, and I've found them! A pretty girl and a chump!"

"Oh you did not just-" Gian growled as he cracked his knuckles.

The man lunged forwards in a body slam towards them, and Gian retaliated in kind with a hard punch. The impact launching both of them back as the man rolled over, while Gian cried out in pain as he clutched his arm, which now had multiple crisscross wounds upon it.

"Hehe… those Axe Dials hurt don't they?" the fat man laughed.

"So that's what they are… knew I should've looked." Gian grimaced as the wounds closed.

"I'm gonna cut you up and crush you to a pulp!" the warrior declared, pointing at them.

"That would be extremely painful." Gian remarked.

"Scared? That won't help you!"

"…For you!" Gian growled as Atomic energy began to swirl around him, before he could lunge forwards again. But a hand clutched his and he turned to see Robin.

* * *

"The ruins… if you unleash too much of your power, these ruins could-"

"Seriously? At a time like this?" Gian sighed "I don't exactly have many priorities here!" the two then gasped before dodging again, the fat man narrowly missing them as he slammed into a nearby wall.

"And besides, he obviously didn't get the memo."

"What are you doing?! Do you know how valuable these ruins are?" Robin shouted.

"I care little for such matters. You have been set upon by Commander Yama of God's Army, and I will destroy this place along with you!"

He leapt towards them again, this time throwing his fist outwards. Gian had to parry with Atom Splitter as Yama rebounded towards Robin, who tried to wrap a few spawned arms around the fat man. His large size prevented that however, as she quickly was blown back.

"We need to find a place out of these ruins… we can't let him destroy it!"

"I mean, I could just punch him…" Gian started before he too was sent tumbling as Yama punched the ground in front of him "Or not… he's faster than he looks!"

And thus, the two of them had to back away from the advancing commander, while the fat soldier taunted them. Gian noticed that the archeologist was gritting her teeth the more impacts the large man made.

"Will you stop defending these dead ruins? They mean nothing to the living world!" Yama chided.

"So you are willing to destroy your ancestors' history?" Robin seethed. Although still in her usual tone, Gian couldn't help but feel a shiver down his spine.

" _I've never seen her this angry before… it's actually kind of scary…"_

"They mean nothing to me! I do not care for the past!" Yama shouted before ramming forwards, knocking the two of them apart.

"Nowhere to run now girl!"

Robin looked around, before frowning. They were now in a clearing, which means she can carry out the next portion of their plan.

"I do not need to run anymore. After all that you've done, even if you apologized a thousand times, there will be no forgiving you."

"Forgiving me? You defend ruins that don't even belong to you!" the fat man sneered as he charged.

"Because these ruins belong to no one, and that's why it's unforgivable." Robin sighed " **Treinta Fleur!"**

30 arms wrapped around the man, halting him. Yama only laughed.

"Is this supposed to stop me?"

"No!" his eyes widened "I am! **Atom Lariat!"**

He didn't even see Gian's arm slam into his face, the billowing blue atomic flames searing his flesh as he slammed into a nearby tree. The arms around him quickly lifting him up and slamming him back down to the ground, repeatedly. When all was done, Yama's face was completely bloody.

"Do you know, that although people created ruins, we cannot go back to the past?" Robin was calm, but her voice was cold "These ruins are all we have left of the past, and you chose to destroy them recklessly?"

"P-please! I understand now! I understand the importance of history now!" Yama blubbered "Please forgive me!"

"No." Was all the woman uttered as Yama cried out as he began rolling towards a cliff.

"Wait… we're not actually gonna-" Gian protested, but Robin quickly silenced him with a sharp look.

"…Or you could… broken bones teach better lessons after all…"

"PLEASE! I WAS WRONG!" the wounded man cried out, but Robin ignored him.

"It's too late for apologies now… **Cien Fleur-"**

* * *

But she never finished, as a violent gust of wind suddenly caused her to fly back. Robin cried out as she lost concentration, her arms disappeared around the incapacitated Yama. Gian tumbled back as well, managing to catch her in his arms but hitting the ground hard.

"You ok?"

"W-what was-?"

"R-RYUGETSU-DONO…!" Yama gave a tearful, broken smile "YOU CAME TO SAVE-"

But the winged acolyte hardly acknowledged him as he landed heavily, cracking the ground beneath him as his wings folded upwards. A chill went through the clearing as Robin and Gian saw that the warrior's eyes were hollow.

"Violence… the entire Upper Yard… filled with violence…" he mumbled "None of this was supposed to happen…" Ryugetsu was in turmoil. The entire morning had been like this, everything he had worked for, everything he tried to stop, it was for naught. Try as he might, he was unable to prevent any lives for being lost that day, for all of the Upper Yard had been plunged into warfare.

"Ryugetsu…" Gian whispered, and just as like that, the feeling he felt before crept back within his heart.

"I can't let it happen… I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN!" the acolyte shouted as he sent forth another gust of wind, but this time Gian braced himself.

"No one will shed blood here…" Ryugetsu growled "I will make sure of that."

"No… you will have to calm down." Gian stated as he drew atom splitter out. In his heart, he knew this confrontation was to happen eventually.

It's how it will end that he doesn't know.

 _Meanwhile:_

It was perfect, Enel decided, everything was perfect.

Around him, many Shandian Warriors lie incapacitated, their bodies crackling with electricity. They were witnesses to his power, though they soon wished they weren't.

"H-how could-" Kamakiri stammered before his injuries took over and he slumped down. Enel paid him little attention as he leapt up and surveyed his handiwork.

The Survival Game was going great, even now his Mantra could sense lives disappearing, one by one.

And then, two pulses of energy could be felt, a fair distances from here, but clear to him as day:

The Beasts have met.

Enel grinned; he had seen this coming. Ryugetsu was a good pet, his power fit for serving a God like him. But he was an old toy, kind of worn out by this point, so why not switch it for another?

The Self-proclaimed God of Skypiea knew two Kaiju-Zoans were in the Upper Yard, and he could not wait to see the result. One beast will die, while the other will be worthy enough to serve him henceforth.

Of course, if he chooses not to, then there's no choice but to eliminate them both. God is not short of worthy followers after all.

Two of his Priests have already fallen. Enel had to admit, they were useful when they needed to be, and he lamented that they won't be joining him. He couldn't care less though, this survival game proved what they really are.

" _Soon, in just a few more hours, only 6 people will remain in this game! So says I, God!"_

Of course, whoever joins him in the journey towards Fairy Vearth is not important. They matter little to begin with.

Because he was God.

And God did not have to share.

 **A/N: SURVIVAL GAAAAAAMEEEEE.**

 **G: Not that reference…**

 **Well it fits, and here's the first part! As of right now, Skypiea is roughly halfway done! It's all going uphill from here as we get all the action that remain, including our second Kaiju-Zoan battle in about 2 chapters, as well as a new intruder soon to come!**

 **Also, the next chapter of the story is the big five O, yup we're half way to 100 with the next one! And once again, I'm having another Q &A! Post your questions in the review section, shoot me a PM, whatever! Whatever you wish to know, as long as it ain't too spoilerish, I will answer!**

 **Like I said, work is long and tiring, but I'm actually making money! Which gives me more hope to continue this story!**

 **G: This story doesn't run on currency…**

 **But I do, so there we go! I'm sorry for the wait, but I promise, I'll try my best to work around it!**

 **You really do give me life for continuing this story! I'll see you soon!**

 **Responses to Reviews:**

 **To BlueRaptor629:**

 **Indeed, you are pretty spot on for the most part, and Ryugetsu's final form will be seen soon!**

 **To Girlbook:**

 **R: Ah, it seems like I have a fan.**

 **What can I say, you're story isn't over yet!**

 **And Gamera, I've received this question a lot. As of right now I'm still not sure how to fit him into this story, but we will see.**

 **To Chance Green G King:**

 **The Queen cometh, and she'll bring fury. But that's not for another little while.**

 **To hcharper131:**

 **Yup! I remember that bit! Saw it in a documentary once. The Carboniferous was a pretty weird time, with giant insects and amphibians abound!**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **The Survival game kicks off! You'll have to wait for a bit, but the Meganulon will reappear soon!**

 **To Daemon546:**

 **You're actually onto something with Gigan… a bit too much…**

 **Mothra is not a part of Whitebeard Pirates; she was a part of something even grander than that.**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **Well the money is good, if you can learn to sell things! But it's not that big of a deal, I only get evenings to write now.**

 **R: I am glad we stand on the same page for something. That much I thank you.**

 **G: Man… you are way too courteous.**

 **To Lucas FTW:**

 **Ahh that video was good.**

 **G: he should make more.**

 **R: indeed, they are enjoyable.**

 **T: not as good as History of Japan though.**

 **0.5: Yeah… I wouldn't be so sure.**

 **Good point, considering he only posted a part of it.**

 **To Karsap:**

 **Something like that, if you look closely at a previous chapter, you actually might get an idea on who it might be!**

 **To NullSilver2005:**

 **Just wait and see! It's coming!**

 **R: There's actually a twist!**

 **G: Not Shamaylan level, but still there!**

 **Really? I might have to change that…**

 **To Matt:**

 **Not unless it's minimum wage, which most of the ones I get are.**

 **G: Money muthafucka.**

 **R: Money is a motherfucking prize, cuts-**

 **G: WHOA! HE JUST SWORE!**

 **R: Hey… I did it once! Look back in the story! Though I don't like to…**

 **And that's all this time, we'll see you again soon!**

 **Remember to submit your questions!**

 **G: Do it! Otherwise him saying this will go to waste!**


	50. Monsters in the Sky 1

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Skypiea Arc opening: Skyreach (Akame Ga Kill! Op. 1)**

"The moment you arrived in the sky, I felt something was off about you…" Ryugetsu muttered "There is just something not right about the air you give off…"

Gian gulped "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"I do not wish for there to be any violence here, too much blood has already been spilled today." Ryugetsu was almost sad, his voice low "Please leave this place, you need not exert yourself in such a fashion. You have no business here, after all."

"I don't think we can do that, Ryugetsu…" Gian mumbled "We didn't get to the City of Gold just to leave."

"I know why you are here, and it is not a morally sound reason to take the gold that once belonged to other people."

"It's not just that. This gold, while superficial to some, means the world to others. A certain someone had been searching his entire life for evidence of this place." Gian grimaced, thinking back to Cricket-san back down in Jaya. Others have placed the city on such a level of importance. Leaving this place now when they've finally proved its existence is out of the question.

"Then I suppose there is no convincing you to leave?" Ryugetsu sighed "You don't seem to realize, the reason all this violence is happening is because of you people…"

"What violence?" Robin inquired.

Ryugetsu waved his hand around "This morning, Enel-sama's Survival Game kicked off. All of God's Army is now free to slaughter as many people they can come across, do you not feel that?"

Gian and Robin shared a look. That was something they did not know. The whole morning, they have been too focused on reaching Shandora, and while they had been attacked by a few of God's forces, they never would've thought that the whole of Upper Yard was under conflict. Ryugetsu saw that they had no idea what was happening around them.

"Hmm, seems like you are unable to use Mantra. That's to be expected. What happened was that Enel-sama decided that today would be the day that he carries out the other portion of his plan, it just so happens that you are all heading for the gold. That could not be a coincidence, and the movement of his army proves it so." Ryugetsu explained as his wings began to spread "I'm sorry, but know that I do not like taking lives."

"So… you're here to-" Gian became alarmed.

"If I get rid of you, perhaps the violence would stop… You Blue Sea dwellers being here has caused problems for a lot of people… I'm afraid I will have to ask you to leave, permanently."

Gian gulped, it seems there is no other way of getting around him. He barely had any time to brace himself as Ryugetsu dashed forwards, the sheer speed shocking him as he felt himself being carried off the ground. Through the violent tumbling, he was made aware of the flying acolyte dragging him through the air, until he landed heavily in a forested area. He looked around and realize the Ruins of Shandora were north of him; he could vaguely make out some of the buildings from between the trees.

"I took you here because I did not want to damage the Ruins. Despite everything, Yama's behavior earlier was unacceptable, and I apologize for that." Ryugetsu mumbled as he spoke from atop a branch.

"You know of the ancient City of Gold?" Gian asked.

"I came across it when I arrived here from my previous home" Ryugetsu explained "Even though the rest of Skypiea seemed so distant, I was able to feel a sort of peace there. It pains me to see anything happening to it."

The chained weapon he possesses whipped towards Gian, causing him to hop back "But that will have to be another problem. For now, I need to remove you from this land. After that, your woman companion will join you shortly."

"You think I'm going down without a fight?" Gian demanded. Ryugetsu only shook his head as he became airborne.

"No, but you will have to match my speed." And then he attacked.

 _Meanwhile:_

Chopper grunted in pain as he was knocked into another rock, he was getting demolished here. This time there would be no Knight to help him, and Gedatsu's status as a priest wasn't just for show. He had retaliated in vain, as he realized the Priest's Mantra had, like before, allowed him to predict almost all the movements he made.

"Those punches… they're way too fast!" Chopper thought as he avoided another attack. He was quick to notice the dials located near his elbows; they must be what's helping him so much. There's got to be a way to get them off…

"With how fast he is, I can't find the opportunity to use Brain Point and scan his weakness… I'll have to go at him head on!" with a bellow Chopper became a more muscular form, his arms and legs both became the size of a regular bodybuilder's. The Heavy Point was slower than his other forms, but packed a punch. This could help even the odds a bit.

" **Heavy Gong!"** the reindeer shouted as he cocked back his fist to meet the Priest's own. A mini struggle ensued as the two pushed against each other, before Chopper felt himself being overpowered and launched back.

"No way… even the Heavy Point…"

"That form is powerful, but these Jet Dials are even stronger than that!" Gedatsu flexed his arms "They can increase the speed and power of my attacks, making them even more potent at killing!"

" _This is bad…. What am I going to do?"_ Chopper thought desperately. He was running out of options here. If this continues, the chances of him surviving are low…

" _I have to run! Or else he'll kill me!"_ morphing into Walk Point the doctor decided to bolt it, trying to think of an option first. But he won't get the chance.

Chopper's eyes widened as Gedatsu landed in front of him, before receiving a heavy kick that sent him flying through multiple buildings. He only stopped when he collided with something organic.

" _Sorry Chopper-Kun… I still can't get free…"_ Nola groaned as she twitched in the swamp cloud. She'd stopped thrashing now, figuring it would be easier to escape if her mind was clearer.

"Don't worry about me, I'll find a way to beat him…!" Chopper hissed in pain as he emerged from Guard Point to see the Priest fly at him, a trail of clouds emitted from his feet. That last blow had been devastating, even Guard Point's defensive fur was unable to block it all. In terms of skill, Gedatsu has him completely outclassed.

"Damn Raccoon, stay still!" the priest shouted as he charged again, while Chopper hastily leaped away in Jump Point. Running was the only option he has now; there simply wasn't a way to beat him.

"If you won't stay still, then I'll bring you to a stop!" Chopper's eyes widened as he witnessed a ball of purple clouds forming in the Priest's palms. This was then thrown at him, the clouds whistling through the air. Chopper only barely avoided them as he saw them splat on nearby walls.

"T-those are-"

"Don't think my Ordeal of Swamps are limited to only the ground… I'll make sure you stop this time!"

Chopper ducked again as he believed another swamp cloud was thrown at him, but felt nothing. It was when he opened his eyes did he realize what the Priest's true target was, as a loud hiss was brought to his attention.

Nola was now bucking her head back and forth, the purple cloud completely covering her cranium. Chopper realized in horror that the more she struggled, the larger the cloud grew. She was now running out of oxygen in addition to sinking.

"Well? Are you going to save that animal?" Gedatsu grinned sadistically.

"HOW COULD YOU?! SHE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!" Chopper snarled.

"I do not have time to waste on a raccoon and a snake, there are more heretics here that I need to deal with, so I will dispose of you two quickly." Gedetsu sniffed "Now what would you do? Save this reptile? Or continue to run for your life?"

Chopper gritted his teeth. Even though Gedatsu acted dumb many times, in battle he's a ferocious fighter. He was truly at a cross roads here.

* * *

" _I'm so weak… I'm always running away and needing help…"_ he thought back, back to all those times. It seems like every battle he's been a part of, he could never fight for himself. Whether it was Luffy and Gian back on Drum Island, or Usopp by his side in Alabasta, or even Gan Fall the day before.

" _I always had to rely on somebody else… they're always going beyond what they should do to get me some place that I could've done myself…"_ Chopper thought bitterly " _It's no wonder they're never relying on me… I'm somebody that hides behind others… always needing someone to cover me. Even finding the City of Gold I had to rely on Nola to get me here…"_

His hooves tightened as he transformed back into Heavy Point.

"Well not anymore… It's time I finally stand up for myself! I'll become a real Pirate today!"

Gedatsu was slightly surprised that the Reindeer charged at him, as he was expecting him to run again. He quickly got over it and lashed out with one of his legs, only to see that Chopper's grabbed onto it.

"I WON'T RUN ANYMORE!"

"Hmph! You can try to resist, but it won't matter!" Gedatsu scoffed as he delivered another kick towards the doctor, sending him tumbling away. Chopper scrambled up and hastily morphed into Jump Point and leapt away.

"And just as I thought you had some guts…" Gedatsu sneered "I'll hunt you down this time!"

It was only then he realized, too late, what Chopper was aiming for. Gedatsu yelled in confusion as his Milky Dial boots suddenly sent him careening wildly through the air!

"I knew it!" Chopper shouted as he held up an object; he had ripped one of the Priest's Dials from his feet "You needed both of them to fly properly!"

"Grrr… Damn you, you Raccoon!"

"I'm not a raccoon! I'm a monster, and I am strong!" Chopper leapt up into the air, morphing into Arm Point. Gedatsu's eyes widened as he witnessed his opponent's biceps swell up and tighten.

"I'll prove myself today! **Kokutei… CROSS!"**

Both hooves slammed into the priest, forming an X-shape as the blow sent him flying backwards, before landing hard against a hard object.

"Y-you've really done it this time…" Gedatsu growled as he staggered to his feet. This time however, he was jolted to attention by a furious hiss which caused him to look up in horror.

The impact has caused him to slam into Nola, dissipating the Swamp Cloud around her head. Worse, she had managed to free herself from the Swamp Trap ensnaring her and it's safe to say that the giant snake was none too pleased at seeing him.

Gedatsu hardly opened his mouth as the snake's head crashed down, swallowing him in one gulp. His Mantra, clouded by his emotions, were not able to sense this attack. Nor would Nola give him a chance to dodge anyway.

The battle was over. Chopper fell down in Brain Point again, exhausted but triumphant.

"I…I did it! I'm able to fight for myself now!" he grinned weakly "I've become a real pirate!"

" _I didn't think you'd have it in you, Chopper-kun."_ Nola hissed " _I thought you were just someone who liked to cry a lot. You've certainly opened my eyes."_

"I'm going to make it so that everybody else can have me to depend on too!" Chopper declared "And for that, they'll have to not worry about me, and I have to believe in them!" he then pointed towards the direction they were previously going.

"I have to keep going for the City of Gold!"

" _Indeed, and we are making quick progress. Over there is a large beanstalk, do you see it?"_

"Oh, I do! It's sticking all the way up into another layer of clouds!" Chopper remarked "Is that where the gold is?"

" _If I remember correctly, that should be where it is."_ Nola confirmed.

"Then let's go! The others are waiting for us!" Chopper declared. Picking up speed once more, they hurried towards their destination with determination in their eyes. Even as Gedatsu continued to thrash about in Nola's stomach, the two gave him little thought. They had a city to find.

 _Meanwhile:_

"You cannot hit me, so I suggest we make this as non-violent as possible." Dodging was easy for Ryugetsu. With the fight still ongoing, the strength of his foe originally caught him off guard. Whatever Gian does in his spare time, he certainly put a lot of it into training himself. A point clearly demonstrated by the clean cuts on some of the trees.

He soon realized that, although strong, his opponent was far slower than he is. His brutal swings of his glaive weapon and fearsome blows from his hands and feet were too predictable.

And he isn't even using Mantra at the moment.

Of course, Gian was quick to notice this. It's safe to say he's pretty concerned.

Ryugetsu only sighed as Gian charged again, the Kusarigama chain spinning around him, before lashing forwards to wrap around his opponent's legs. With a jerk Gian was knocked off balance, landing heavily on the ground.

"For a guy who preaches non-violence… you sure dish out a lot of it…" Gian winced as he got back up.

"It doesn't have to be that way, you can turn yourself to me willingly and this beating may stop."

"Yeah… but you said you needed to kill us so that's hardly a fair trade."

"Trade in a few lives for the lives of many? Is that so hard?" Ryugetsu crossed his arms.

Gian sighed "its official, you're not very good at persuading people." He tried to lash a leg out, but Ryugetsu was already gone.

"Like I said, much too slow."

Gian didn't even see him go behind him, so when the counter kick came it was initially a surprise. So much so he didn't even register it until he smashed into a tree.

"Ok… I call speed hacks…" he grunted, before noticing Ryugetsu was already in front of him. Barely able to see what is going on, Gian threw a wild punch only for Ryugetsu to grab his arm and flip him over his shoulders, causing him to land heavily onto the ground.

"Oh come on! How did you even react that fast?!"

Ryugestu ignored him as he spread his wings, lifting both of them up into the air.

"I'm sure you are familiar with the idea of Mantra by this point. Surely you have already met the Priests…" he muttered as his opponent struggled in his grasp.

"An ability that allows us to sense every move our opponent makes, and act accordingly. All of Birka knew how to use it, as do I."

"Birka? What does-?"

"Know this, there will come a time in your life that you will lose something that is irreplaceable. If you manage to survive this encounter with me, then take heed in that."

With that, Ryugetsu flitted through the forest, avoiding every branch and obstacle he met in his path. Of course, he avoided it but Gian on the other hand had to bear the assault of everything as he was slammed repeatedly into everything.

" _Ok… this is not fair… this is SO not fair!"_ Gian internally growled as blue energy enveloped him. This was an act quickly picked up by Ryugetsu's Mantra, as he hastily let go, just as the person he was open let loose a burst of energy that sent the tree branches whipping violently. The force was enough for him to land and brace himself.

"Such power… you hold more than I originally believed." The acolyte murmured.

Gian grinned "I've more than just that." Ryugetsu's eyes widened by a margin as he witnessed dorsal fins popping out of his back, as they lit up and Gian fired an **Atom Ray**. This one was much closer, actually singing his robes.

"What kind of Devil Fruit power is this?" he demanded.

"I sometimes forget, Devil Fruits have been found up here…" Gian scoffed "This is one perhaps you have never seen in your life!" his arms ignited with blue energy as he dashed forwards again. Ryugetsu had to jump around one punch; a blow so powerful it snapped a tree in half.

" _His power just increased… he had this much within him?"_ Ryugetsu cursed as Gian's radioactive charged leg slammed into his braced arms, causing him to slide back. The winged acolyte noticed a few more abnormal things, like how his opponent's eyes turned into a dark shade of amber, while his teeth and nails grew longer and sharper the longer they were fighting.

" _The more he fights… the more savage his blows are becoming…"_ he thought as he vaulted over another punch " _There's more to this power than I thought!"_

Ryugetsu cursed as Gian somehow retrieved Atom Splitter, the blade became ablaze with the same blue energy he saw earlier.

" **Atom Flame Wave!"**

The blast of blue fire from his blade carved down many trees, all which Ryugetsu had to avoid as he whipped the Kusarigama out. Dashing forwards again, he struck. This time, he held the sickle out, and as Gian brought his weapon down, he lashed his own strike out, avoiding the slash and feeling his weapon cut through flesh.

Gian snarled in pain as the tendons in his arms were ripped in half, causing him to lose grip on the Guandao. Ryugetsu landed, sighed and casually wiped the blood from his sickle. He did not miss the fact that the wound he inflicted was rapidly closing however.

"You can heal wounds?"

Gian only grunted "I never thought I'd get my ass handed to me this badly by a regular person, at least not somebody who's a marine captain…"

Ryugetsu gasped as another blue wave of energy enveloped Gian, but this one was different than before.

" **You said you didn't want to cause any violence… then I apologize… because now I** _ **really**_ **want to hurt you!"**

He hardly had a chance to see Gian's Partial Transformation lash his tail out, the tail ablaze with atomic energy. The blow struck him clean in the chest, causing him to fly backwards faster than he's ever been hit before.

" _The power… it increased so much which just a simple Transformation…"_ Ryugetsu gasped as he laid in a pile of downed logs; that blow might've broken a few ribs…

He barely had time to roll out of the way as Gian's radiation charged fist smashed into where he was.

"Never did I expect… this form of power…" He gritted before springing back into action. Flitting behind the Partially Transformed Straw Hat, Ryugetsu's chain lashed out.

"However, you are still too slow. If you maintain that speed you can never keep up with me."

Imagine his surprise when Gian managed to catch it with one clawed hand.

" **Slow, am I? Well, it wouldn't be the first time…"** a hard yank was all it took to bring the winged warrior into range " **But it doesn't matter… I may not move faster than you, but I can hit harder than you! And sometimes, that's all I need!"**

Ryugetsu could feel a portion of the skin on his arms peeling off as Gian's infernal punch slammed into it. A small explosion formed, violently blowing him backwards as he skid along the ground.

"Such savagery… I will have to end this soon…" Ryugetsu growled as he flew forwards again. If this power was what he believed it was, he really would need to end it quick. He lost his weapon in that earlier exchange; attacking at a range would not be possible now. He'll need to hit and run.

Gian growled in irritation as the winged acolyte continuously darted in and out of his reach, his claws and tail just missing him. Meanwhile, Ryugetsu was lashing out with the chained weapon, scoring small blows to disorientate the Partially Transformed pirate. He figured it was the only way he could get this done without doing too much damage.

" _ **Ok… if I can't hit him, I'll have to blow him out of the sky."**_ His dorsal fins flared up as another **Atom Ray,** the heat beam carving a searing blaze across the forest. Ryugetsu had to swerve around trying to avoid it, as dozens of trees were set ablaze.

" _So he's trying to keep me at bay here, and when I potentially make a mistake, He'll fire that beam at me again, trying to take me down…"_ Ryugetsu thought frantically as he avoided another blast. It was when a cracking sound behind him was heard did he realize that his opponent's plan went even further than that.

" **Let's see if your Mantra can let you avoid all of that?"** Gian staggered forwards as dozens of burning pieces of the trees he ignited fell around the winged warrior. Indeed, Ryugetsu's focus was purely on dodging right now as the flaming logs fell around him. As his robes caught fire, he almost didn't notice the blue glow below him.

" _So that's his plan… keeping me distracted by so many things happening… not bad."_ Ryugetsu internally sighed; his Mantra already foresaw what was to happen, but just because he sees it doesn't mean he could avoid it.

One thing about Mantra, you still have to avoid what is coming at you and if you aren't fast enough to do that, then it's pretty self-explanatory.

And as skilled as he is, there simply wasn't any way Ryugetsu could avoid everything, even with his speed.

At least, not the way he is right now.

As a flaming branch pinned down one of his wings, pinning him towards the ground, Ryugetsu saw he didn't have much time left; Gian's atom ray was almost done charging.

"To think… I would find someone who share this type of power… it is quite bittersweet." He sighed as he closed his eyes.

And a massive gale blew out around him, putting out every alit tree within the radius. Gian was startles as he felt the wind knock him back. When it ended, a feeling of uncertainty bubbled from within him.

* * *

While all this was happening Robin was still back at the ruins. Ryugetsu's attack was swift, and she didn't even register it in time. Before she knew it, Gian was already gone, carried off into whatever parts of the jungle.

Her initial thoughts had been to carry on into the ruins, but something kept her. The conversation with Ryugetsu opened a few cracks in the pavement about some of the things going on here.

They already heard that Ryugetsu was not part of the Priests, but still expected him to be part of Enel's loyalists. And while the acolyte did attack them, Robin thinks there is more to the matter.

She couldn't place it, but Ryugetsu seemed almost forlorn, as if he didn't want to do any of this.

This is perplexing, from descriptions of Enel's army and witnessing first hand, Robin had thought they were a group of battle hungry warriors. But Ryugetsu did not seem to be the case; it almost felt like he didn't want to fight.

"Hehehe… worried about your boyfriend there?" the obnoxious voice snapped her from her thoughts. Oh right, he was still alive…

"You shouldn't be… because he'll be dead!" Yama gloated and gave a broken grin; her assault on him had broken many of his teeth "Ryugetsu-dono will rip him to pieces and throw him to the wind!"

"You think too little of my companion." Was all Robin said.

"It's because it's true! Ryugetsu-dono already had that power back in Birka, and Enel-sama personally chose him as his steed when we departed that lowly place! Don't you see? Ryugetsu-dono is second only to God himself! He is the Heavenly Bird chosen by-"

Robin's makeshift hands chopped him in the neck, causing him to lose consciousness.

"Ignorant people should not speak…" she sighed.

However, what the fat man said shed some new light. It seems that there's more to this than she thought.

And this was made all the more apparent when she felt a flare of energy coming from the direction Gian was sent off to. Wordlessly she hurried off; there's just something she had to witness.

And vaguely, in the back of her mind, she could've sworn the word "boyfriend" was mentioned earlier…

* * *

" **You really are a Kaiju-Zoan user…"** Gian muttered " **I should've known when I felt that sliver of Aura…"**

" **Kaiju-Zoan? So that's the name…"** Ryugetsu gave his neck a crack, his own Partial Transformation standing tall. The acolyte was now a cross between a pterosaur and a man; his already impressive wings were now spread to new spans, his head was tapered between a beak and the lower part of his jaw. Sharp talons now tipped his fingers and toes, ready to tear into his foe " **I guess now I figured out what that feeling I got of you was… it seems that we share this power, different as it may be."**

" **I should've known, we really are more alike than we thought…"**

Ryugetsu gave a sad smile " **Not so alike…"** And that was when Gian got the air knocked out of him. He didn't even see the punch, and only when he was already soaring through the air did he feel a pain in his abdomen.

" **I hope you know that your little stunt back there could've done a lot of damage. This is a sacred place, what would happen should it become unrepairable?"**

Gian groaned as he got back up. The boost in power was evident, but it was the boost in speed that really got his attention. Ryugetsu was already fast enough, this Partial Transformation made it as if he was moving at the speed of sound…

" **Ok, I'll admit, that wasn't my first thought…"**

" **Just as it isn't your first thought on what consequences your gold hunting has brought to the people of this land…"**

" **We're going back to that?"** Gian sighed " **I'm 90 percent sure that would've happened regardless."**

Ryugetsu folded his arms " **Regardless, your presence within this place has become too much of a problem. With this power of mine, I will cleanse this land of you."**

Gian gasped slightly when Ryugetsu just appeared behind him; he didn't even sense him, or see him! Whirling around to brace himself, he blinked slightly only to see there was no punch.

" **Jetstream flight…"**

The uttering of that phrase was what launched Gian into the air, paired with a loud BOOM.

" _ **I was wrong… he wasn't moving as fast as the speed of sound… he broke it completely…!"**_

Gian couldn't even blink before Ryugetsu's foot met his gut in record speed, taking them further into the air. The winged acolyte then sprang in front of him, dealing two rapid punches to which he only felt both after a half second, after which was followed by another kick that sent him crashing back down to the ground.

Another **Atom Ray** was fired, but this time Ryugetsu already saw it coming. Flitting out of sight, Gian was knocked down by another sonic boom.

" **Dammit… his speed is even higher now… added with that Mantra bullshit this fight just got a lot worse!** Gian cursed, before gasping and rolling out the way just as Ryugetsu's right foot planted itself into the ground mere centimeters where his head just was. Gian lashed his tail out, but once again Ryugetsu disappeared, leaving another sonic boom in his wake.

" _ **How am I supposed to see him now… wait, couldn't I just do what I did with Mr. 0.5?"**_ Gian suddenly remembered the ability to sense Aura, the Kaiju's signature energy. It came handy during the climax of his last battle, surely it could come in handy again!

" **Just one problem… HOW DID I EVEN DO IT THE FIRST TIME?!"** that last time was a complete fluke; it was only out of desperation that he managed to sense Aura in the first place. Well he's pretty desperate right now, but no glowing lights, no trails of energy…

" **OH COME ON! WHEN I NEED YOU THE MOST YOU DISAPPEAR ON ME?!"**

" **I believe you should not be shouting your inabilities to the heavens there, it could cost you time."** And once again, Gian felt himself being lifted from the ground. When he opened his eyes, he saw that he was still going up. The grip on his arms indicated that Ryugetsu had caught him and was now flying even higher.

* * *

" **Beautiful, isn't it?"** when they stopped, they were now miles above the Upper Yard. Gian could see trees stretching for many distances, with ruins of old buildings mixed in between. The wind here was vicious, blowing form Ryugetsu's wings with each flap.

" **This is what I watch over each day. This vast expanse of land. From up here, it's almost peaceful."** Ryugetsu mumbled sadly, ignoring the violent thrashing from his prisoner.

" **It reminds me so much of my home… before** _ **He**_ **destroyed it…"**

" **Who?! Where are you going with this?!"**

Ryugetsu only sighed " **But even underneath this pleasant visage, blood is being spilt. You don't sense it? Every so often a life signature disappearing from the Mantra?"** This battle is starting to take its toll; it will be time to end it soon " **It's true you can't use it, but I never thought you wouldn't be able to sense anything…"**

Gian did see things, things that made him rather desperate: one was a large construct of what appears to be a barbed wire cage, its dome shape standing out on the other side of the Shandoran ruins. Even from this height he could just make out a patch of green hair and a patch of yellow… Luffy and Zoro.

The other was the small outline of the Going Merry. He could just make out flashes of what appears to be fire around their beloved ship.

His friends were being attacked. And they were fighting for their lives.

" **Now you start to see it? How this violence has reached even those you care about?"** Ryugetsu sighed " **This was what it was like… before my home was destroyed…"**

" **Take it in, it'll be the last thing you'll ever see."**

And then Ryugetsu dove downwards as the air crushed itself against Gian's face. He could feel his ears begin to pop as the air pressure increased. A massive boom came from behind them; Ryugetsu had broken the sound barrier again. They were roughly 3000 feet in the air, and Ryugetsu was about to hit the ground in less than 5 seconds.

He needed to do something fast.

" **Atom…Pul-"**

" **Too late for that."**

The explosion rocked out from his body just as Ryugetsu pinned him towards the ground. The force was enough to knock the acolyte into the side of a ruined wall, cracking it.

And even then, Gian slowly got up. Thanks to the Partial Transformation's increased durability and regeneration, the dreaded injury wasn't as bad as it could have been. Still, it seemed like all the bones in his body had been pulverized. Each step is agonizing, even as his bones realigned themselves.

* * *

" **W-why… why won't… you just stay down…?"** Ryugetsu hissed through the pain; it felt like his entire body was on fire. Then again, that last attack managed to activate before he was able to bury him into the ground, so in hindsight he should've been a bit faster.

Gian was panting heavily " **I made a promise to my friends… I won't die…"**

" **I kind of see… what's going on here now… You've lost something before… and now that you've found something similar to it, you… don't want to see it gone…"** Gian hypothesized " **You would do anything… to keep what you care about… the way it is…"**

" **In some cases, we're pretty alike… we've both got-"**

" **SHUT UP!"** Ryugetsu snarled, making Gian flinch a little. The normally quiet acolyte was now irate, his face twisted into a scowl of fury " **Don't think for one second that you know what I've lost!"**

" **I know what you're going to say… how you wishing to protect your crewmates is similar to what I'm doing? YOU ARE WRONG! The lives of a few people will never match up to the thousands that were lost that day!"**

With that, Ryugetsu ripped off his robes, showing Gian his full body. Underneath, his Partially Transformed body had hardened his midsection into rows of spiny plates, but one thing remained clear; the large jagged burn mark planted in the middle of his chest.

" **You'll never understand the pain I've been burdened with these years… You'll never understand what it's like to lose all you've known!"**

" **Losing my home to the hubris of a madman… I'll make sure that never happens to anybody again! And if I have to remove a few people indirectly causing this violence then so be it!"**

Gian sighed, he knew talking him out of this was out of the question at this point. Wordlessly he dug into his jacket and removed a Rumble Ball. Only 2 of these left. He should probably ask Chopper for some more after this.

" _ **You are wrong about one thing. Ryugetsu. I somehow do know what it's like to lose what I've known… there's a part of me that I still haven't found out about, try as I might, I'm always thinking about that. But as much as that part of me is missing, I've found something else: family that accepted me when I had nowhere else to go, friends who stuck by me through the toughest times… just as you wish to protect this place from violence… I will protect them from all that threatens them."**_

" **Atom… X scissor!"**

" **WIND SCAR!"**

One wing beat of Ryugetsu was enough to cause a massive gale to rip towards his target, the velocity reaching cyclone levels as they formed multiple shredding blades. They crashed into the flaming X caused by Gian's Blade Point Transformation, causing a massive explosion.

" **A new form? I'll say it's rather creative… but it's still too slow."**

Gian's bladed arms reaped towards the acolyte, but even this new speed still paled in comparison. With another BOOM, Ryugetsu flipped over the Blades, avoiding all of them.

" **Sonic Lash!"**

A swift kick forced Gian to counter, unleashing the bladed tip. It wasn't enough to block Ryugetsu's attack, but it managed to dig into his leg, causing the acolyte to curl and fly up. Here he began to send multiple **Wind Scars** towards the ground, the howling gales ripping into the trees and dirt.

" **Oi… didn't you say this was a sacred place?!"** Gian protested as he hopped around.

" _ **Damn… even Blade Point is too slow here, not to mention I have no way of reaching him while he's in the air…"**_

" _ **I have to think up a new transformation… hopefully this one can help!"**_

Focusing a bit, he felt a new change in his body, before leaping up to meet Ryugetsu head on.

" **Attacking me in the sky now? You are way too overconfident. The skies belong to me!"**

" **Perhaps, but every king needs someone to take his throne!"**

Ryugetsu's eyes widened as a blue stream of flames belched out from the new form. Gian was now airborne, but he wasn't falling.

Two blue wings were in place of where his arms are now.

" **To match you up here… I had to improvise. And that's where Wyvern Point comes in play!"**

Gian's change was noticeable: his head was streamlined, and his entire body was aerodynamic. His dorsal fins have shrunk, smaller on his back, and even his tail was smaller. His arms now expanded into two membranes that allowed him to fly.

" _ **Is this enough for 3 minutes? I only hope it can match up."**_

" **Atom Jetstream Ray!"** another bellow of fire, not the usual heat ray, but pure fire was emitted once more. Ryugetsu however, was easily able to dodge it.

" **Did you forget I have Mantra still? You may be flying now, but just having the power of flight is not enough!"**

" **Don't think that's all I can do! Atom Drago!"** Blue claws of radiation bursted from his winged hands as Gian flew forwards, intent on slashing his target. Ryugetsu shook his head as he flew overhead, prepared to deliver another kick. Rather than chasing, Gian flew in a different direction, with Ryugetsu hot on his pursuit.

This continued for some time; Gian spewing out blue flames while Ryugetsu avoided them, just out of reach. One of them didn't want to get close, while the maneuverability of his opponent's new form was starting to get tedious.

Eventually Ryugetsu decided to end this. With one massive flap of his wings, he appeared in front of where Gian's Wyvern Point was about to go. He noticed this too late and ended up with a hand wrapped around his neck.

" **I told you, there's no use to keep struggling. That last form might have caught me off guard momentarily, but in the air, I am still superior."** Ryugetsu admonished " **It's time to end this now."**

Gian stopped struggling.

And grinned.

* * *

" **I figured… there was limit to how much your Mantra can do…"**

" **What?!"**

" **Take a look around you… what do you notice?"**

Ryugetsu gave a glance around, nothing. Was this his opponent's idea of trickery? It would take a lot more than that to have him fooled.

Then he smelled it, and his eyes widened in horror.

" **T-this is-"**

" **My normal Atom Ray is just pure energy… it blows and it fizzles… Wyvern Point's atomic fire on the other hand leaves a residual gas that lingers in the air after I've used it…"** Gian grinned, proud of his work " **I figured that your Mantra only works well when you're able to concentrate, so during that attack earlier where I burned those trees as a distraction showed that when you're too occupied with one task, you can't dodge too much… that's the same logic here. I continuously used my fire to make sure you're only focused on avoiding that and getting to me!"**

" **But, just in the case you still try to fly out…"** from his mouth a new projectile appeared; a dark cloud of smoke, a side effect from using so much Atomic fire. Ryugetsu was blanketed as he scrambled to find his way out.

" _ **He's using the smoke to disorientate me… I can't use Mantra in this situation!"**_

" **Now… Smite… and IGNITE!"**

One more puff, this time a small blue ring of smoke puffed out charged with Atomic energy. The reaction was instant, a vicious explosion blanketed the area. Ryugetsu was caught inside completely, his body singed as he fell towards the ground. Miraculously he was still awake, glaring hatefully at his foe.

" **Now, it's really time to end! ATOM DRAGO!"**

Dashing towards Ryugetsu, two more claws of Atomic energy slashed the opposing Kaiju-Zoan user's chest, drawing two pairs of lacerations. This was enough to fully make the acolyte black out, just as Gian's Rumble Ball effect ended as they both fell.

" **Oh… I forgot…"**

Screaming all the way down, he braced himself.

" **Cien Fleur: Spider Net!"**

And he landed in multiple arms, wrapped around in the form of a net between trees.

" **If there was ever a time where your presence was more welcome, it's now…"** he gave a sigh of relief. Robin only smiled as she appeared from behind a tree.

"Well, what can I say? You did say you needed me to show you where to go around here."

" **I won't deny that…"** Gian smirked " **Sorry to say, but I think the party's over."** Ryugetsu's body was laying prone face down on the forest floor, still Partially Transformed while burns covered his body. He wasn't moving.

"What was it like? Fighting someone like him?"

" **It was… an experience…"** Gian was sullen at that. Unlike with Mr. 0.5, who he had to stop, this battle was different. If anything Ryugetsu was just as much of a victim as anyone else under Enel's Survival Game, if what he pieced together was accurate.

Ryugetsu did not seem like he wanted to fight; he didn't seem like the kind of person to get involved in any of this at all. For them to cross arms in a fashion like this was only due to the product of viewpoints.

If times were different, Gian felt that the two of them would've actually gotten along.

"You wished you did not have to fight?" Robin deduced.

" **In a way… yes. I found out about a few things during that scrap… things that kind of made me realize how he became this way."** Gian sighed " **I don't think he was meant to be our enemy, only someone who encountered us at the wrong time… he had things he fought for, just like we do."** he shook his head " **But it doesn't matter now. Let's go back to the City."**

* * *

 _Lightning crashing down everywhere. Scream everywhere._

" _WHY?! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO US?!"_

" _WHY IS ENEL SO-"_

" _YAHAHAHA!"_

 _A leap, missed, feeling of anger._

" _STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!"_

" _So the Beast has finally been awakened? Most excellent!"_

 _No restraint, must stop him now…_

" _SHOW ME YOUR POWER! GOD BIRD!"_

" _ **KIRRROUUUUU"**_

" _ **EL… THOR!"**_

 _Pain._

 _Loss._

 _Nothing is left._

" _It's too pitiful, and far too much of a waste." The man sneered as lightning cracked around him "A beast like you must have a God to guide you. Come to me, and submit to God!"_

 _Shame._

 _Resignation._

 _All that's left._

* * *

Wind began to pick up around Ryugetsu's body as memories past flooded his mind once more. Despite all of his injuries, he wrenched himself up, eyes glowing yellow as power began to flood him.

" _ **I've lost all that I cared for… not again…"**_

The wind began to scream now.

" _ **NEVER AGAIN!"**_

And a blinding flash of light covered the area, forcing Gian and Robin to duck.

" **I knew it… this isn't over…"** he picked himself up as blue energy began to gather around him.

" **Robin… get back to the Ruins…"**

"What is-?" Robin asked, before she felt it. Two massive waves of energy exploded outwards, one speaking of wilderness and flight, while the other of dominance and willpower.

Both were Primal.

And Robin knew what was to come.

* * *

 _Meanwhile:_

"Dammit… these clouds are made up of barbed wire!"

Zoro was getting cut up here. This new zone was filled with new traps, new hardships and a new opponent.

"How does it feel swordsman? Does the Ordeal of Iron make you yearn for death?" Ohm sneered. His Trial was deadly and no one has ever escaped it in the past. Beside him was a large white dog, a pet he's brought since his days back on Birka. It cackled as it watched the fighter's misfortunes.

Zoro was getting cut up here, with the iron clouds rending his body.

It doesn't make it easier that there are other people here as well.

"It hurts…!" Chopper cried. Zoro was surprised in the least to see that their doctor had befriended the giant snake that had tried to eat them earlier, but if she could help, then all the better. That didn't matter in the face of this trial though, as even they were struggling. Chopper's fur was matted with blood, and fresh wounds now appeared on Nola's Body.

"We have to… I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS!" Luffy shouted as another barbed cloud lacerated his back. It was even more of a surprise when Luffy and the Guerilla crashed into the clearing together. Now they were caught in this trap as well.

"OHM! YOU WOULD STAND BACK LIKE A COWARD?!" Wiper roared.

"It's all but strategy, I've now got you all where you stand!"

Wiper hissed. His fight is much more personal. Behind him, Aisa curled, whimpering. He had no idea how she got there. Apparently she had chanced upon the Pirates from the Blue Sea… but now she was caught up in this mess as well. He didn't want to bring her into all this.

"Ohm's Ordeal of Iron… it's said to be the toughest of them all…" Gan Fall panted as he himself is being cut up. He and Nami had arrived after Enel's visit to the ship. Nami looked on, worried about everyone.

Zoro cursed; this has trapped too many people! With Sanji and Usopp both injured on the Merry, and Gian and Robin still not showing up, it was starting to look bad. They had just managed to reach the City of Gold, and now this roadblock was getting too hard to handle.

It was then that everybody felt it, two massive wave of energy.

* * *

And they were instantly brought to attention. Some of them even knew what they were…

"Ryugetsu is about to Transform?" Ohm wondered, actual intimidation written on his face. He's only seen that form a handful of times, but that was enough to realize just how far apart the two of them are.

* * *

Wiper felt the changes in the atmosphere as well, 2 waves of oppressive forces. His alarm was in contrast to Aisa's however, as the little girl looked up in a mix of fear and awe.

"The God Bird… it's here…"

"Aisa, what are you talking about?" Wiper demanded, but the girl only stared in that direction. That feeling was definitely the same as the one she encountered in the forest the other day, only much stronger.

* * *

Nola gave a violent hiss as she backed away slightly, eyes fearful.

" _I can't believe it… it's still there…"_

"Nola! What's wrong?" Chopper coaxed.

" _Do you feel it? That primal change in the air? One of them was the flying beast that attacked me that day!"_ the snake hissed " _But what is that other one?"_

Then they felt it, and it was all too familiar to them Luffy, Zoro and Chopper gave each other a look; they know exactly what happened.

" _Gian… what are you up against that requires that form?"_ was the singular thought on their mind.

* * *

"To think… Monsters have graced the skies once more…" Gan Fall whispered. He never thought he'd see something like this again.

"Gan Fall-san, you know of the Kaiju-Zoan?" Nami asked. She too was worried about Gian. He himself had said that the Full Transformation was one that was brought out only in the direst of situations, so what could it be now?

"Years ago, another pirate journeyed up here. With him were two individuals that have this power. Their Aura signatures may be different, but there's no doubt about it. To be fair, I had my thoughts about whether that friend of yours was a Kaiju-Zoan user or not and it seemed like I am right."

"Aura? What's Aura?"

"Aura is the spiritual energy a Kaiju processes. In a way, it could be said to be their soul. Only Kaiju-Zoan users have it, and no matter which, it usually means something world changing were to happen when two or more of them appear…"

 _Meanwhile:_

"Yes… my beasts… rise up and prove yourselves worthy!"

Far above the action, witnessing everything from atop a cloud, was the God of Skypiea. Enel too has felt the changes in atmosphere, and he was elated.

From the moment those two were brought to the Upper Yard, they were bound to meet up. Two will battle, one will emerge.

And Enel could not wait to see which was worthy to be God's Guardian.

 _Meanwhile:_

Even below the Upper Yard, the burst of Auras could be felt.

Through most of Skypiea, the citizens down there looked up in rapt attention and fear. For them, the clouds above were beginning to churn. Flashes can be seen, illuminating the two beast's monstrous visages temporarily.

Conis gulped, this was too much for a girl like her. They were all just normal people, but they are now witnessing the rise of Monsters…

* * *

Even below that, down in the sea, the people of Jaya were wondering just why there was a particularly dark patch of clouds. But for 3 individuals, this meant even more.

"Cricket-san! Look the sky!" Masira shouted and pointed.

"I just saw a flash of lightning! There were two massive monsters up there! What could those pirates be doing?!" Shoujou was also concerned.

Montblanc Cricket however, said nothing. Wordlessly he retrieved Noland's Logbook and furiously began to flip. His eyes widened at the page he stopped on.

"So it's true… monsters have graced this world again. What were supposedly legends were rooted in truth all along…"

The image on the page was outlandish: it showed a gold carving of two massive beasts. One was a winged creature, hovering in the sky, while the other a massive saurian, its dorsal fins lined its back as it stared the opposing monster equally…

 _Back in the Sky:_

Witnessing 2 monsters was always an awe to behold.

That was Robin's thoughts. And in a way, it was even more spectacular than the showdown with Mr. 0.5.

Gian's Full Transformation towered over her. His tail swept back and forth as blue energy crackled in his spines.

The monster staring him down however, was equally as grand. Although nothing more than a massive Pteranodon, Ryugetsu's Full Transformation was causing hurricane force winds with every single flap of his wings, which seemed to stretch across the sky for miles.

" **I did not expect to be using this form… and I definitely did not expect us to have such similar Devil Fruits…"** Ryugetsu rumbled " **These Kaiju-Zoans really are intriguing…"**

" **We really are the same…"** Gian growled " **To be brought to this level…"**

" **I will preserve this land… nothing will get in my way…"** Ryugetsu rose further into the sky, wings sending out gales. Gian pushed himself against the wind, determination in his eyes.

" **I'll make you realize, we really aren't different from each other…"** he braced himself " **You really are like me, one way or another…"**

And Gian let loose a sky splitting roar, just as Ryugetsu's dove at him.

 _Elsewhere:_

Unbeknownst to everybody, something else had felt the Auras of the two Kaiju.

This being was ancient, timeless, and biding her time. Those Auras were from the same timeline as her, and one of them belonged to her mortal enemy.

She had been waiting for her spawn to gather the required resources, but there never seemed to be enough.

That had all just changed.

Within the Sea of Clouds, she remained immobilized, but she did not need to move.

Not when she has tens of thousands to do her bidding.

From her fleshy prison she sent out a call. It was not just a call to awaken, but a call for revenge.

And once those tens of thousands answer, it will be the time to rise up once again…

 **A/N: OPEN THE GAME!**

 **With this chapter, we are reaching the climax for the Arc of Skypiea. Our monsters have almost fully gathered, and soon we shall have rumbles, starting with the next chapter! Gian and Ryugetsu will have the last part of their fight, and then they'll have to face something even more sinister than the thunder God…**

 **With that being said, thank you for submitting some questions last time! The PM ones I was able to answer quite fast, and the other ones, you'll see it here!**

 **Thank you once again for supporting this story! We'll see you with the next chapter in just a few weeks at most!**

 **Responses to reviews:**

 **To Girlbook:**

 **ACTION! INTRIGUE! ALL OF THAT!**

 **G: Actually that's split into two parts, but its here!**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **Well, when the bugs come, he'll be wishing he's dead…  
I normally think up forms for Gian's Rumble Balls based on the situations he's encountered. The Wyvern Point showed in this chapter is a good example of that. I'll probably only have about 1 more Transformation to use, and that'll come up later. But as for his Awakened form, that has nothing to do with a Rumble Ball, nor will it be appearing anytime soon.**

 **Gian smells like smoked meat (mostly bacon) and his flower is the Rafflesia, a massive flower found in Southeast Asia and smells like rotting meat!**

 **Gian's female alternative- NO! WE ARE NOT GOING TO UNLEASH SOMETHING LIKE THAT ONTO THE WORLD AND-**

 **G: I was thinking something along the lines of Jolyne Kujo mixed with Revy from Black Lagoon, but that's just me.**

 **Oh the horror…**

 **To Matt:**

 **Soon, trademark. Very soon.**

 **To Chance Green G King:**

 **The snake is an actual character! Whether she was based on Manda or not is something I have no idea, but I like to imagine that it is so!**

 **To Karsap:**

 **Kiryu will not be in Thriller Bark, but he'll have an arc dedicated to him eventually. Rather, Grendolas himself has something to do with it.**

 **To JayH120:**

 **G: Slow and steady makes it Sexy.**

 **I… I don't think that's a thing…**

 **G: Well I like it. I'm making it a thing.**

 **Sure… you do you…**

 **You hit pretty close to home with the Enies Lobby guess though. We'll have to wait and see.**

 **To Bigly the Big Bad Wolf:**

 **Glad you like it! I'm actually starting This Bites! Recently so I have to catch up on that. It's pretty good from what I'm seeing so far!**

 **As for Mechagodzilla, you can expect Kiryu to have a rather major role later on in the story (I have a unique origin for it) but as for regular Mechagodzilla, you aren't that far off with the guess with Germa 66.**

 **To NullSilver2005:**

 **Spacegodzilla will have a massive role near the end of this story, and no, not as Gian's sister.**

 **To Guest:**

 **I actually have a rough idea about how a Gamera Arc would play out, and it does involve the Gyaos. With my Original Arc following Skypiea, you'll get a better understanding of what could happen should Gamera be a part of this.**

 **To Pokemonking0924:**

 **Monster fights, who doesn't love them?**

 **Ryugetsu and Gian's relationship will actually be brought back later after Skypiea is done. I'm actually planning for Ryugetsu to have another role later in the story.**

 **To LucasFTW:**

 **I haven't watched it. Don't plan to.**

 **G: DO NOT! IT'S A SCOURGE ON THIS WORLD AND MUST BE DESTROYED.**

 **T: I HAD TO BLEACH MY EYES.**

 **0.5: IT MADE ME KILL PEOPLE ACTUALLY!**

 **R: it truly is a rather horrendous excuse for a movie.**

 **Well… they know.**

 **And that's all! We'll see you next time!**

 **I'll give the guys a break from anything this time around, but be sure to review!**


	51. Monsters in the Sky 2

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Skypiea Arc opening: Skyreach (Akame Ga Kill! Op. 1)**

Ryugetsu's speed, already capable of being faster than sound, was now nigh unrivalled. Each beat of his wings whipped up winds that rivaled even the worst storms. The trees in the Upper Yard were now bending at such unnatural angles that it was a wonder why they haven't snapped yet.

Gian pressed himself against the wind, but Ryugetsu was no longer fighting on equal footing anymore. Now, the skies were truly his dominion as he screeched across the clouds, the wind ever so vicious. Circling around his victim, he waiting for his chance to strike.

" **Heaven's Dive!"**

With one massive flap of his wings, the Pteranodon slammed downwards from above, bearing straight towards his opponent. Gian grimaced as he prepared to meet the charge, but soon realized he never received it. At the last moment, Ryugetsu changed direction and swerved upwards and away, leaving behind in his wake a hurricane forced gale, and a loud boom that made Gian felt as if his head was going to pop and knocking him down.

" _ **Damn… I can't use a Rumble Ball anymore to fly, yet on the ground I don't know how I can reach him!"**_ Gian growled as Ryugetsu continued to circle above him. Finding a time to strike would be crucial in this situation; if he misses there's no doubt Ryugetsu's speed would easily allow him to get close and take advantage of that opening.

* * *

As another **Atom Ray** scorched the skies, to no avail as Ryugetsu remained 10 steps ahead of it, down below those caught in the crossfire were fleeing the best they could. Even Robin was forced to go to a different location to seek cover.

As the two monsters crashed against each other once more, the archeologist wondered why it that she stayed to observe this battle. To say that this is dangerous is an understatement, as two colossal forces of nature clashed in tandem.

But at the same time, there was something that make her unable to pull away. Instead of going to safety she continued to observe what is happening. She can't explain it, but something had drawn her attention to the battle. Even midst the thundering blows she remained.

This wasn't just a battle between two opposing factions, this was a reenacting of a battle in an era now lost to the world. To other people it may just be two out of this world monsters appearing where they shouldn't be, but Robin knew better.

Life as an archeologist wasn't easy, especially not what she's seeking. To her credit, finding the Rio Poneglyph has been her main goal but that doesn't mean that she'd pass by chances for other traces of history.

It was by chance that she discovered the story of Kaiju, within the underground chambers of a library storage was where she found the dusty book that Gian now carries with him. The Kaiju-Zoan user had taken up an even bigger interest in the logs written. Nonetheless, the idea of Kaiju intrigued her; if such a powerful species once roamed the world while humanity were in their shadows, how did they disappear, and how did the current world form in their absence?

And why is it, in spite of that one book, sources on the matter were few and far between?

Through the book, and some other places, she had pieced together a rough thesis to answer that question. Of course, it still had many holes in it and is far from complete, but it did allow her to at the very least understand a bit about it.

Somewhere down the line, the Kaiju had something to do with the emergence of the Kaiju-Zoans. Those fruits were the only remnants of the once mighty race, confined to a prison to be unleashed by the bodies of another.

Case and point, the two individuals before her. Robin was some distances off now, standing on the forest floor. But even from there she could feel the cataclysmic battle, feeling the wind howl at each flap of Ryugetsu's wings and each crash of Gian's gigantic size. The two beings towered over her, seemingly oblivious to her presence.

They were reenacting a time when a battle like this was commonplace, however little they know.

Robin continued her observations; there were still so many questions. But for now, she hoped that these two could shed some light.

* * *

Of course, whatever she's thinking had little effect on what the two gigantic beings were currently affecting. With a combination of both Mantra and sheer speed, Ryugetsu was nigh untouchable. Meanwhile, the winds and sonic booms have begun to wittle Gian down slightly, making him disorientated. It was because of this that he reacted too late as two pairs of talons clasped around his neck.

" **I think you remember this trick from earlier… except rather than follow you, this time I think I'll just let you fall."**

Gian howled as he felt himself being lifted once more to the wing beats of a giant Pteranodon. In his Full Transformation, Ryugetsu was capable of reaching even higher altitudes. Soon, even the city was nothing but a mere speck in the distance.

It must be quite a sight for those observing on the ground.

" **It's ironic… a sight so beautiful, normally meant for peaceful moments, is used in such a manner."**

" **Is that supposed to make me feel better?"** Gian snapped, but Ryugetsu ignored him.

" **No matter how far I fly, no matter how far I leave the ground, I still feel chained… caged to a force I do not wish to associate with…"** Ryugetsu's melancholy tone was what made Gian pause. There really is more to this story than he originally thought; he felt it even earlier during their fight. It seems that Ryugetsu was no mere henchman of Enel.

" **I promise… no harm would come to it after this…"** and Gian felt himself beginning to fall. A massive quake rocked the area when he landed, forming a crater that seemed to stretch for miles.

Disorientated, he barely registered that Ryugetsu's talons have latched themselves onto him again, carrying him skywards once more. He managed to register too late as to what his plan was as the acolyte whirled around and once again took a nosedive as he cracked the sound barrier once again. Gian's face once again slammed into the ground hard as Ryugetsu circled around for yet another assault.

The repeated rumbles could be felt by nearly everyone in the Upper Yard. To other involved, the original thought was that of an earthquake. The sight of the two beasts were soon able to dash that thought, as they witnessed as well the rise of two primordial beasts rise in front of their eyes for the first time.

Gian was panting; the speed of his opponent's attacks are truly something he can never match, at least not now. Steadying himself, he prepared to fire another **Atom Ray** only to feel Ryugetsu slam into his side, the sky warrior now carrying him back. Gian grunted in exertion as he forced his own weight back, putting the attack to a halt and causing the Pteranodon to fly off again.

" **Come down and fight!"** Gian demanded, but his snarl fell on deaf ears. Ryugetsu only snorted as he circled around the sky.

" **Your challenge betrays your anxiousness, it seems that you know you are already beaten."** The transformed acolyte began to gather speed again " **the more you drag this on, the more apparent that becomes. Even your strength will wane eventually, I just need to wait."**

" **How long are you planning to keep this up?"** Gian shouted " **Look around, the two of us have already done more damage to the land than perhaps anything else!"** indeed, the surrounding area was now akin to a post-disaster environment. Yards of trees were ripped from their roots or snapped in two, trenches of soil was dug up and blowing in the wind. Not to mention the massive crater where Gian fell earlier. In a place as delicate as the Upper Yard, such damage could be hard to fix, if not irreparable.

" **Then all the more reason to remove you from this land quicker."** It pains Ryugetsu to see the land he's watched over become strafed like this. It was never meant to bear the brunt of even one Kaiju, let alone 2 of them " **Once you are gone, the people here will be safe again."**

" **Safety? Is that what's going on here?!"** Gian demanded " **You call an event where people of all factions are fighting to the death safety? Do you really think that Enel has been keeping these people safe?!"**

" **What Enel does is beyond my control. It's the presence of you and your group that instigated all of this."** Ryugetsu seethed " **I just want everyone to be safe… as long as they don't oppose Enel, obey his laws… then they will be safe. All I'm doing is-"**

 ***BANG**

And Ryugetsu was knocked out of the sky; he reeled as Gian's fist fizzled out of their atomic charge. The opposing Kaiju-Zoan user wore a mask of rage as he took every word in; he had to leap up for that last attack.

" **I think I get it now…"** Gian stepped closer, each stomp echoing in the air " **I think I know why you're so concerned about the people down there…"**

" **In your previous homeland… you had people you cared about too, didn't you? That was before Enel, wherever he came from, took all that away, isn't it?"**

" **S-Stop… talking…"** Ryugetsu hissed.

" **You tried to stop him back then… but you failed… Enel defeated you, and somehow you ended up working as his underling."** And as each word emerged, he noticed Ryugetsu's expression. His face showed that, although probably still lacking in some information, he was hitting pretty close to home.

" **Now that you've come here, there are new people to look over. You hate Enel, but you can't stand up to him. So you do the closest thing to that which is to keep the people of Skypiea obeying the laws set by that madman. As long as they're good little sheep and listens to everything they'll be, in your mind, safe from the big bad wolf that will smite them as he will, am I correct?"**

Ryugetsu grunted as he hoisted him up from the ground " **So you understand what I have to go through then…? Then why are you in my way?!"**

" **If that was all there is to it, then I'd have no reason to stand in your way."** Gian responded " **But after confirming it, I realized that your misguidance is just as much to blame for all of this as we are."**

" **Come again?"**

" **You think the residence in the sky are any safer with you in the equation? You think that by keeping them in line all will be well? You're not a savior Ryugetsu, you're a shepherd!"**

" **Those people down there may have not broken any laws. But they live in fear everyday of a power greater than theirs! They walk with their heads lowered, know any minute a mad God is capable of bringing their death! They aren't even people in his eyes!"**

" **THEY ARE ALIVE!"** Ryugetsu snarled.

" **And without the free will to live, what is the point of it?"** Gian growled " **As a pirate, this is the only philosophy I know. To live without reason… is not worth living at all!"**

A massive gust of wind almost bowed him over.

" **How dare you… HOW DARE YOU ASSUME ANY OF THIS?!"** and Ryugetsu flew at him again, the two titans locked in another struggle as his talons dug into Gian's arms.

" **Birka was my home… all those people… THEY WERE PEOPLE I'VE GROWN TOGETHER WITH! All of it… wipe away in a second by a monster warped by his own hubris!"** Ryugetsu slashed out again, forcing Gian to block. With a flap of his wings, he flew up again.

" **Everything I've loved and cherished, everything that stood with me… ALL OF THEM ARE GONE!"** angry tears were forming at the edge of the Pteranodon's eyes as he flew higher.

" **You speak of freedom, what about the freedom of the slain?! They wanted the same thing as you did, to be free to live their lives. And they were paid by crackling thunder and lighting and incinerated where they stood!"**

" **Where is their reason to live? They had plenty of that, but what good is it if they aren't even ALIVE?!"**

And with the screeching sound of winds howling as he began his descent, Ryugetsu cracked the sound barrier as he dive-bombed towards his target.

" **I want nothing to do with Enel; if given the chance I will kill him in an instant! But I can't do that… and the only thing I can do… IS TO MAKE SURE NO ONE EVER HAS TO LOSE THEIR LIVES TO HIM EVER AGAIN!"**

Ryugetsu collided with Gian's flaming fist at near light speed. The resulting collision causing a massive **BOOM** as trees and rocks alike bowed and cracked in a burst of primeval rage. The landscape around where Gian once stood erupted in a burst of debris as the force tore its way through the Upper Yard.

Everyone felt it, some with fear, and others with uncertainty. One individual grew even more ecstatic as he watched the battle of the beasts.

A normal person would be pulverized beyond recognition by that attack. The force itself was great enough that even Ryugetsu was shaken by the recoil as he landed on the ground, slightly dazed.

* * *

But a blue flash of light made him realize, in shock that his battle wasn't over yet.

" **If you hate him so much… why aren't you doing something about it then?"** Ryugetsu had to fly up immediately, as the ground beneath him exploded as the blue heat ray lanced into where he just was. Gian's eyes were now a burning amber color, emitting internal power.

"… **Why… WHY ARE YOU STILL STANDING?!"** Ryugetsu howled.

Gian winced; despite his defiance, that last attack had shattered the bones in his arm. They are healing as he speaks, but the pain was tremendous. His body ached; despite not as severe as his battle with Mr. 0.5, this fight was forcing more out of him. Back then it was a battle to survive, this time there is more on the line.

He now had a point to make.

" **You claim you have nothing but hatred for Enel, yet you're acting in his steed? If you truly hold him in such a low regard, then why serve him?"**

Gian had to brace himself as Ryugetsu locked his talons with his arms once more, rage evident in his face.

" **You know NOTHING!"** the talons attempted to flay his skin, but Gian gritted through the pain and pushed back.

" **You're afraid of him, you've been beaten once by him and now you doubt whether you can ever stand up him or not. You look over these people because you know if Enel chooses to smite them, you won't be able to stop him! Not because you care about them!"**

" **BE QUIET! I will keep them safe… NO MATTER THE COST!"** quicker than Gian could anticipate, one of Ryugetsu's talons lashed out far too fast to dodge. Gian roared in pain as the claws raked across their intended target; his left eye.

" _ **This is it! While he's blinded, I'll start building up my top speed!"**_ As Gian writhed around in pain, Ryugetsu's flight pattern changed to circling around his target which gradually grew faster and faster.

Gian, blood streaming in his eye, did not notice the small tornado gathering around him until it had picked up into a monstrous maelstrom. Over the howling gale and the screeching of Ryugetsu's unseen wings, he didn't notice the attack until it was too late.

Ryugetsu collided with him, the impact so forceful it dissipated the storm as Gian was pushed back, hard.

But to Ryugetsu's shock, rather than recoil, the opposing Kaiju-Zoan user _grabbed_ him.

" **W-what? How did you-"** there was no way! With him reaching near blinding speeds along with the blood hindering his sight, it should've been impossible for his foe to realize him coming! But here it was, his foes gripping him as if he anticipated this attack!

" **There's one thing I need to do before I leave… and that is to beat some sense into you!"** as his eye reformed, Gian hoisted the Pteranodon over his shoulder in a devastating suplex. The edge he was looking for finally came back.

He didn't know how, but somehow, Ryugetsu's body was marked by a reddish brown tint of raw energy. At the moment he needed it most, he was somehow able to sense Aura again.

In this moment, he could feel every raw emotion from Ryugetsu, and the opposing Kaiju-Zoan user had a blender of that.

As he landed to the ground, sending clouds of debris flying, Gian realized that Ryugetsu was truly more complicated than he perceived.

" **I can't lose… I CAN'T LOSE!"** at his top speed, the sound barrier was completely ripped apart as Ryugetsu recovered and his body began to glow a thin white as his speed tore up the landscape with hurricane force winds. It was a simple technique, reaching his top speed and charging into his opponents with the power of a meteorite slamming into the earth. Anyone smashed by the impact would have their bodies broken beyond belief. And with his Mantra, Ryugetsu should have no problem landing this devastating strike.

Yet why is it now that his opponent was leaning out of the way mere seconds before the attack lands?!

" _ **It can't be… how can someone from the Blue Sea know how to use Mantra?!"**_ Ryugetsu was unable to process this; every time he swoops in for an attack, it was as if his foe instantly knew where he was going to be and acted accordingly. Unbeknownst to him, what Gian was using was something far more ancient than any sort of Mantra he was familiar with.

* * *

To Gian, the vivid outline of Ryugetsu's Aura was much harder to track than the previous time he managed to get it working. This is mostly, unlike Mr. 0.5, Ryugetsu has a much different attack pattern. With some concentration, he managed to trace the trails of spiritual energy emitted and with considerable difficulty managed to avoid some of them, though he still ended up getting grazed by a few attacks.

But more than that, Gian had experienced more with this connection of Aura, something he didn't see before. In the fight with Mr. 0.5, due to the goal being a battle to the death, he did not have much of a chance to feel deeper into him sensing his opponent's Aura; only very briefly was he able to sense the killer's bloodlust and savagery. Now a myriad of new feelings bombarded him, feelings that were transferred by none other than Ryugetsu…

It was what he felt before, the sorrow, the feeling and yearning of freedom, only this time it was multiplied hundred-fold.

This was someone who's lost far more than he could imagine. Someone who watched, helpless to do anything, as the hubris of a self-proclaimed God torn all that he knew asunder. Then the feeling of bitter helplessness as he was forced to work for the same individual that put him through this pain.

In a way, he could imagine how it would lead him to the actions he's done today.

" _ **I can't even begin to imagine how you've been dealing with all of this, and perhaps I never could. But one thing I do know, I still have to protect those close to me. And if that means I have to face you…"**_

* * *

Each clash sounded like the earth itself is cracking apart, there was no holding back now.

" _ **It doesn't matter if he figured out how to use Mantra… he's still a greenhorn to it! I've been using it my while life… I will come out on top!"**_ Ryugetsu thought.

" **I won't lose here… TOO MUCH IS ON THE LINE!"** Both Kaiju-Zoan users roared as they slammed against each other. Ryugetsu unleashed a blast of wind from hs wings, uprooting multiple trees and tilling the ground as the air current pushed Gian back. Following up with another flight, his body was now whistling as air streamed from him in a white line. This time, Gian detected his Aura too late as he was barreled over; Ryugetsu's right wing slicing past so fast it actually opened up a huge gash within his torso, sending forth a spray of blood.

Gian gritted his teeth as his right fist ignited.

" **I will protect these people…I WON'T LET ANYONE ELSE LOSE THEIR LIVES TO HIM EVER AGAIN!"** Ryugetsu's body was glowing white now as the sound barrier cracked again. The supersonic flight screeched towards Gian, intent on crushing him with one last attack.

" **IF YOU WANT TO PROTECT THEM… THEN GO AFTER ENEL! REMOVE THE SOURCE!"** a split half second before impact, Gian brought his fist down. Hard.

" **WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF?!"**

* * *

And in that moment, Both Kaiju-Zoan users disappeared in a violent explosion of dust and debris, and the resulting shockwave obscured vision of the area completely…

The blast spread out quickly, making its presence known to all nearby. A few distances away Nico Robin finally emerged as it subsided, having taken cover behind a fallen log. Wordlessly she made it back to the scene of the carnage, and it was as if a storm had just passed through the area.

Rubble and debris littered the ground. Trenches, many yards long were dug out by either wind or flames. Multitudes of trees have been uprooted. Had this battle taken place within Shandora, it would be safe to assume the ancient ruins would no longer be standing.

And at the center of it all, two individuals that looked as if they've been keelhauled.

Gian's body was littered with bruises; his regeneration had slowed down due to the stress of the Full Transformation. Some shallow cuts bled openly, but nothing compared to the state of his right arm which was now twisted at an unnatural angle due to the blunt trauma inflicted earlier. Face white with agony, he endured it all in pained silence as his bones slowly knit back together.

Ryugetsu meanwhile was looking no better, the side of his face had a burn mark in the shape of a fist, while also sporting many fresh wounds. Unlike Gian, his would take much longer to heal. A few teeth laid scattered as his head rested in a pool of blood. Despite all this, he was alive and surprisingly still conscious. Robin noticed that, even from this distance, his face was stained with tears.

"I…I failed…" the acolyte gritted out "I'm still so weak…"

"Just to put it forwards… this is nothing personal." Gian gasped, his broken arm slowly realigning, "You did try to kill me after all…" his gaze then turned slightly sympathetic.

"Back there… we really showed each other our inner feelings… I can't even begin to imagine the magnitude of loss that you've felt."

Ryugetsu let out a humorless, curt laugh "You know nothing…"

"Here's me trying to show a bit of understanding and you're pushing me away… why do I even bother." Gian gumbled.

"There's nothing to understand…! The destruction caused that day… I just don't want a repeat of it…" Ryugetsu had a sad gaze in his eyes.

"Birka… that was my home. It was another Sky Island, just as Skypiea is. Very little is known of how we got there, but from that point, our civilization developed into a prosperous nation."

Another stray tear slid down his face as he continued.

"Because of our history, we have our own legends and folklore that have been passed down since ancient times. As it is a similar case here, material such as Vearth were sacred due to their limited source. I'd say we were less dependent on it, but it was important nonetheless. The same goes for Devil Fruits. To the people of the Blue Sea, they're simply fruits that give the eater abilities, but to us in Birka, it was much more."

"And you? The Kaiju-Zoan that you've eaten?"

Ryugetsu closed his eyes "To us, Devil Fruits were believed to be relics left for those worthy enough to ascend to Godhood… those who eaten them were given unimaginable power, skills that put them far beyond any warrior. Whatever it's form… they were a sign that these warriors would ascend to the pinnacle of Birka! Perhaps these so-called Kaiju-Zoans are more important elsewhere, but to us they were none more special than any other Devil Fruit."

"I see… of course not all places have the history of such things." Gian nodded. He then remembered "But if the Devil Fruits are of such importance, then Enel must have-"

Ryugetsu's face morphed into that of rage "Those who have eaten Devil Fruits were given powers as a reminiscence of Gods, and are to serve as the Guardians of Birka… we had the power, but we were not Gods." He seethed "Despite this… there was some that took this much too literally…"

"Enel…"

"In his youth, Enel was nothing more than a scholar and a priest. His role was to educate, to inform the citizens of Birka of their history and culture. He was a teacher, but more so he was a prospector for knowledge. The rest of the Island did not think of his thirst for knowledge, but we did not see it become a greed…"

"Slowly but surely, his messages became twisted, his proclamations became bolder, more outlandish. The idea that any child of Birka could become a deity themselves was heresy to the rest of the civilization, and for that we shunned him. Some of us still clung to hope, but most no longer paid him any mind." Ryugetsu sighed, more tears began to flow "How could we've been so blind to see such a virus already becoming far too great? His hunger for knowledge and power eventually led him to the **Goro Goro no Mi** , and it was at this point, his hubris truly overtook him."

"To think such a powerful Devil Fruit could be found so far up…" the conversing duo turned to see Robin walking up to them. Gian gave a light wave with his good hand, relieved that she had been out of the blast zone.

"Woman… you know of such a Devil Fruit?" Ryugetsu asked.

"The Goro Goro no Mi is of the Logia class, one type that is very rare and powerful, at least that's what the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia claims. Should the eater have enough mastery over such a power, he would be close to invincible." Robin explained "How did Enel come across such a Devil Fruit?"

"No one knows how… but what did happen after was that the madman finally put his thoughts into action. We failed to see just… how far his obsession went…" Ryugetsu fell silent, eyes shut. The sight of lightning streaking down and destroying the land that day was a sight that will haunt him for the rest of his life…

"I tried to stop him… at that time I was still young and had acquired my Devil Fruit only recently. Because of that, my mastery over it is mediocre at best…" Ryugetsu mumbled sadly "Enel's power sundered the guardians of Birka where they stood, all either perished in the incident, or disappeared in the aftermath…"

"That day Birka disappeared from the sky. I had originally thought that he was to kill me too, but by some strange chance, he thought that keeping me around would be bette… claiming that a power like mine is worth only to serve that of a God…" Ryugetsu spat spitefully "After that, he and his band of followers departed to travel to other places, and they eventually arrived here, where such an abundance of Vearth made him bold enough to claim it… that was 8 years ago, and since that day Enel quickly established himself as the new God of Skypiea when the old God Gan Fall was beaten…"

"8 years of having to look at such a power hungry fool flaunt his power over a group of helpless and fearful group… having to see that fear again is something I never want to witness again… I thought that as long as… I can keep them out of harm's way… Enel won't bother with them; the madman's too arrogant to look at anything he deems lower than him!"

"And so, for 8 years I endured of pretending to spread Enel's Will to the people below, as long as they went about their ways without breaking any laws, Enel would have no reason to go after them."

"But the cost of that, you had to sacrifice your own freedom." Robin deduced.

"What's one life in the face of thousands? Even with my perceived power, I am only one individual, but they are people that will live on for generations to come… I want to at the very least see some of that new generation live and grow…"

"And grow up in eternal fear of a wrathful god? Not that great of a tradeoff…" Gian frowned.

"It matters not… now I see, all that I had hoped, have been nothing more than wishful thinking…"

"How so? They say history is written by the victors, but it is the spirit that preserves that history. Even as others paint their own version of history, those who know the truth will forever hold that." Robin said "Birka may be lost, but I don't see how that should effect the people here?"

"What I think of my homeland is none of your concern!" Ryugetsu snapped. At this point, both Kaiju-Zoan users were starting to get their energy back. "It matters little now, I'd known from the beginning that these people, starting from today… would not be saved!"

* * *

"Wait… then what was all that for?!" Gian snapped.

Ryugetsu sighed "Perhaps I'm too sentimental, perhaps it's because I cling too much onto hope that just maybe I can protect the people of Skypiea from sharing Birka's fate… but it's all for naught, for the moment Enel announced his Survival Game, he had no intention to keep this land alive!"

"Then why are you still here?! Why are you not at the alter challenging him to such an audacious act?!" Gian demanded "I've said it before, and I'll say it again! You're scared! He's beaten you once, and now in your mind you're no match for him to put up even a sliver of resistance!"

"Gian, stop." Robin chided "This is more complicated than that!"

Ryugetsu glared for a while longer, before letting out a defeated sigh "No… he's right… I have resigned myself to my cowardice… 8 years ago I laid, burnt and beaten as he stood condescending above me… it broke every will I had about challenging him… But even if I hadn't what could I have done? What fight could I even begin to put up to try and-"

He never finished, for at that moment, the ground beneath them begin to give way…

 _While that was happening:_

During the events mentioned, Zoro and company were still struggling against Ohm's Trial of Iron. The aforementioned fight hardly on their mind, they were still trying to survive.

The barb wired clouds once again strung the unprepared up, digging into their skin. It's safe to say that out of every priest encountered, Ohm was by far the toughest. To the combatants, the combination of his Iron Clouds as well as his own Mantra is enough to make him a fearsome foe. Be it Zoro's swords, Luffy's punches, Wiper's cannonballs, he easily avoid them all, hardly sustaining a scratch while his opposition were being torn to ribbons.

"There's a reason why my Trial has never been passed once" the priest sneered "Do not blame yourselves for your inabilities, you have been burdened far too much by life. Come, let me free you all!"

"He sure likes to hear himself talk…" Zoro growled as he charged again, only for Ohm's sword to wave around and parry every strike.

"Come on! There has to be some way around his Mantra!"

It was then that their battleground was rocked by a monstrous shockwave, so much so that some of the ruins were beginning to shake from the pressure. The power was so great that Ohm's makeshift Iron Cloud cage was torn asunder, leaving nothing but thread.

"W-what?! How could this-"

" **Santoryu: Hyakuhachi Pound Ho!"**

His mind elsewhere, Ohm realized too late that Zoro had sliced the air itself, causing a wind blade to streak towards him. He attempted to block with his own sword, but the slash was much too strong, carving through his sword and dealing a grievous wound. It was in this fashion that the last priest of Enel was defeated. A slam nearby showed Nola grabbing Ohm's pet dog by the scruff of his neck before tossing him in the distance, defeating him as well.

"So that's how it's done… If he doesn't know where the attack is coming from, his Mantra can't detect it." Zoro deduced, though his mind was elsewhere; what could've caused such a powerful blast?

"Good job Zoro! Now let's go find that gold in the city!" Luffy and Chopper cheered.

"Gold? I don't suppose you're speaking of the remains of Shandora?" Wiper barked.

"You know of it?"

"Shandora was the home of my ancestors. It's a place where other people should not step foot in without permission." Wiper warned "What business do you have with it?!"

"If you're looking for Shandora, then I'm afraid you're standing in the middle of it." Gan Fall spoke.

The Straw Hats looked around wide-eyed.

"Whaaa?! This is the City of Gold? But there's nothing here!" Nami groaned.

"This place of nothing was the birthplace of the Shandia! Show some respect!" Wiper snarled "Now I ask again, what business do you have with the City?!"

"Wiper, stop it! These people helped us!" Aisa coaxed.

"They may have aided us back there, but they are still our enemies! We have no idea what their intentions are, and they cannot be trusted." Wiper snapped back "That goes for you too, Knight of The Sky! Don't think we've forgotten whose people drove us from this place to begin with!"

"Please, I don't want anyone else to die today!" the child whimpered. Throughout the entire day she'd been listening to the voices fall silent one by one. This heinous Survival Game has gone for far too long.

Wiper hesitated slightly. It's true, as many of their own warriors have fallen in combat today. But here were a group of people, trespassing in his ancestral home. He can't just let this go by.

* * *

Nobody had the chance to do anything, for at this moment, the ground beneath Aisa suddenly cracked open showing a bottomless pit. The girl hardly had a chance to react before she hurtled down into the dark, screaming and flailing her arms.

"NO!" Wiper screamed as he was about to leap after her, but Luffy beat him to the punch, one arm stretching downward before latching onto her wrist. But he never had the chance to pull her up, for at that moment the ground gave way even further, causing Luffy to lose his balance too. Chopper was also caught in the fall as he lost his footing, and due to her large size, Nola was unable to escape either.

It all happened so fast, nobody had time to react. Before long, the four had disappeared into the darkness.

Nami let out a scream once everyone got a safe distance away.

"H-How did-" Zoro was pale before racing back to the edge of the pit "LUFFY! CHOPPER! WHERE DID YOU GO?! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"

"I-impossible… the foundation of Shandora shouldn't have-" Wiper was devastated. Aisa was their youngest member, and although he'll never admit it even a hardened warrior like him had somewhat of a fondness for her. He was supposed to protect his people, and yet…

"We need to find a way to help them!" Nami shouted.

But nobody knew how.

 _Meanwhile:_

"Gian! Are you alright?!"

No answer.

The pit formed without warning. Perhaps it was due to the ground loosening in the clash of titans prior, or the age had finally caught up to the Upper Yard, but regardless of the reason, there was a seemingly bottomless hole that formed within the aftermath of the battle of monsters.

Robin managed to form a line of arms to tether herself onto a nearby tree, one that was out of the pit's range. Gian, in his last moment, had also pushed her out of the way before falling, and he and Ryugetsu were swallowed up.

Letting herself down, she called out once more, but still no reply. How was she supposed to get him up?

It was at this moment a sudden thought pushed at her mind. Something about the city of gold… she only got a glimpse of it before the battle of monsters drew her attention, but she remembered one small detail.

Hurriedly she raced back towards Shandora; something about this situation was way too similar to something that was documented within it's walls…

 _Meanwhile:_

"Uggghhhhh… what just happened?"

"We're still in the Upper Yard… and yet…"

Gian and Ryugetsu both groaned as they massaged their bruised body parts. Somehow they managed to emerge unscathed. Now however they were trapped an undetermined distance underground.

"Somehow, this is all your fault!" Gian pointed at the acolyte.

"…Is that all you can think of in this situation?"

"Ok, I'm probably just pissed off at the turn of events, but what do we do now? We have to get up somehow!"

"It would be easier to deduce that, if it were easier to see…" the surroundings was pitch black, neither could see more than a few inches in front of them. On top of that, they haven't fully regained their energy yet.

* * *

Elsewhere, the rubble shifted to reveal a massive coiled shape. Nola hissed lightly before looking down at the little ones in her coils.

" _Everyone, are you alright?"_

"I think so… what about everyone else?" Chopper looked around.

"Why is it so dark?" Luffy pouted.

"Luffy… we just fell down into a massive hole, we're probably miles beneath the ground right now!" Chopper said.

"Oh no! Then how are we supposed to get out of here?!" Luffy screamed.

"Not so loud!"

" _This place seemed to be hollowed out beneath the ground… there's no place to climb out."_ Nola observed.

"Then how are we supposed-"

Aisa suddenly let out a gasp and fell to her knees.

"Aisa-chan! What happened?" Chopper cried out.

"V-voices… thousands of voices…! But they're not from people… it's like they're emotionless… Almost like they're controlled, and they're coming this way!"

* * *

At the same time, the two Kaiju-Zoan users were also looking for a way out.

"I think my strength is coming back… in this case, the best option would be for me to fly both of us out of here." Ryugetsu deduced.

"Then there's that. After this, you are going to pay Enel a visit because what I've said isn't just going to be forgotten like that."

"…I told you, it's not that simple!"

"The more you run from it the more its gonne-" Gian protested, but was cut off when Ryugetsu savagely thrusted his fist forwards.

A second later he heard the squelch of an unknown object from behind him and an agonized hiss.

"What's this?" the acolyte frowned, the object had a hard shell, but soft inside.

"…Whoa, how did you- Oh, yeah. Mantra or something like that."

"I was able to sense it, when I focus I'm able to sense the signatures of other living organisms." Ryugetsu explained.

Gian lit a small fireball in his palm, and what was revealed made the two of them wide-eyed.

It was an insect, but while most arthropods were small, this one far extended beyond that. Its body was around the size of a small dog, and its sharp mandibles seemed enough to slice skin with ease. Ryugetsu's fist had punctured its exoskeleton, its lifeless eyes now dull in the blue light.

"An insect? How is it so big?" Ryugetsu wondered.

"More importantly, what's it doing here? Gian frowned "From its shape, it looks very similar to a dragonfly nymph, but those are aquatic at that stage of life. There's not a drop of that here!"

"Um…"

"And the size is another thing, how has it not been crushed by its own weight yet? It has to have some kind of internal structure that supports its body like this."

"Oi…!"

"It's also living underground… a feature not common to most bugs, why has this-?"

"OI!" Ryugetsu barked.

"Ok! I heard you? What next? There's a bunch of them coming to avenge their dead comrade?"

Ryugetsu shot him a look "Raise your arm… look around."

And as he did so, Gian only had one thing to say.

"…Me and my big mouth…" he sighed as a symphony of screeches lit up the cavern…

 **A/N: Ok! We're back! It seemed like forever that I last wrote. Lots of stuff had happened these days, leaving writing as something that I've continuously held back. I hope this will be enough to satisfy everyone though! As you can see, Skypiea may be halfway done, but what's coming will leave the rest of the arc in a completely different direction! It's something I hope I can incorporate into future arcs as well, with Enies Lobby and Thriller Bark possibly having a similar magnitude of change!**

 **In the meantime, thank you all for being patient, and the continued support of this story! I truly wouldn't have as much motivation to write if people didn't enjoy it so much! I promise, the next chapter would come much quicker! I'll see you then!**

 **Responses to Reviews:**

 **To Karsap:**

 **There will be a time when Zilla will appear, I'm thinking about putting him with one of the Supernovas as of right now to be exact…**

 **To Squeegywing:**

 **A lot more Gian and Robin interactions will be shown in the following original arc I'm making after Skypiea, which I'm hoping to start in January at the latest probably.**

 **G: And ah yes, EoH is a Jojo fanfest indeed!**

 **To:keysjake36:**

 **I'm gonna be honest, the Rumble Ball concept is probably gonna be few and far between in the coming chapters.**

 **To SolanaLeonhart:**

 **G: The Emoji Movie is a complete Fuckfest of everything you don't want in life. Seriously, it shouldn't have been made.**

 **They cancelled a Popeye animated movie for that…**

 **G: STILL TRIGGERED.**

 **R: On another note, glad you like what my story offers! Originally I was gonna be more bland but Author-san gave me more of a background as he rewrote drafts in his head.**

 **G: You are too polite sometimes.**

 **To Chance Green G King:**

 **Glad you liked it! And the action will pick up soon enough!**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **Soon they will come, if the end of this chapter has anything to say!**

 **To JayH120:**

 **She'll take another chapter or 2 to get here, but when she comes, the skies better be ready!**

 **To Matt:**

 **Who says there can only be one bad movie in the world?**

 **To Guest:**

 **I'ma comin'!**

 **G: It's here!**

 **To kitgirl91:**

 **The Kid Pirates may be more familiar with Kaiju than we think! And if by good guys you mean helping Gian out, let's say Mothra is something like that!**

 **To The Storm Master 567:**

 **Glad you're enjoying it so much! You're actually pretty close with a couple of things you've said in the reviews, and that PM you sent me! I've just answered the PM questions today, so you can see that.**

 **But no, this story won't have Lemons in it. I've debated on that for a while, and mainly due to I have no experience in writing more mature content like that, I'd probably wouldn't touch it. There are, however, moments where it's implied some more intimate things have happened. You can use your imaginations for what went on there, but full blown lemons won't be in the story, at least not for the foreseeable future.**

 **And that's all for this time! We'll see you again soon!**

 **Leave a Review and Gian will… do something!**

 **G: You have no ideas left…**


	52. Before the Storm Breaks

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Skypiea Arc opening: Skyreach (Akame Ga Kill! Op. 1)**

In the dark, you don't need eyes to see.

The abnormally large insects have long gotten used to such an environment, they have had millennia to evolve and carry out their purpose. The two energy signatures may have strength, but they've only been on this world for mere couple of years.

These insects were the Meganulon, a timeless and ancient species descended from an ancient dragonfly. These soldiers were the larval form, drones that gathered the necessary materials needed for the next step of their return. They were only a small part of a grand scheme of things, but their role is just as important.

The Meganulon were mindless, obeying the orders of a higher power. Their only objective is to gather energy, and it just so happens that there are two potent sources of it smack in the middle of their hiding ground.

And like a moth drawn to a flame, the swarm bore down on the two unfortunate signatures.

* * *

Gian growled in exertion as he swung a leg out, the kick strong enough to splatter another group of bugs. Having only just came out of a fight with another Kaiju-Zoan user, he isn't in the best shape to get into another fight just yet. Beside him Ryugetsu is also tiring, his wounds affected him much more and, in the dark, his normally sonic speeds were of little use. The two of them combined created a force to be reckoned with, holding their own against the insects for some time now. But they were merely two people, and even their strength cannot last forever in this war of attrition. They can feel themselves tire while their foes crashed against them with seemingly no end to their numbers.

"Ryugetsu, how many can you detect with your Mantra?" Gian panted as he slammed his fist through another bug.

The acolyte whirled around, knocking down a group of insects that jumped at him with mandibles snapping "Too many! It's like an endless tide; when we take down one, 5 take its place!"

"Yeah… no kidding…" Gian gritted as more of the massive bugs surged against them. A few have leapt at him, snapping their jaws and one even managed to take a bite out of his left shoulder. They were losing their battle, and if they can't find a way to get out of this, then they'll be overrun…

 _Meanwhile:_

" **Gomu Gomu no… Gatling!"**

" **Heavy Gong!"**

Luffy's punches and Chopper's Heavy Point attacks struck against their attackers, causing them to squeal as they were sent packing. The massive insects have managed to find them too, albeit at a lesser rate then what the two Kaiju-Zoan users were encountering. Even so, a couple dozen of them managed to find this new source of energy. The 4 did not have as much as the two other massive energy sources they sensed, but the Meganulon do not discriminate. Any living being, no matter what size, is capable of fueling the next step.

"Aisa-chan, what are these things?" Luffy asked. Said little girl was pale as she witnessed the grooved exoskeletons of the large insects coming towards them. So far, the combined effort of Luffy Chopper and Nola were able to keep them at bay, but as before there seemed to be no end to them.

"Impossible… they can't be real…" Aisa whispered as she crouched behind Nola's coils "They were just stories…"

"Aisa-chan! What are you talking about?" Chopper yelped as two Meganulon grappled with him. Before the little girl could answer, Nola suddenly began to retch as she dropped the crushed insects from her mouth.

"Nola! What's the matter! Are your wounds acting up again?" Chopper cried out. The snake didn't answer as she continued to hack, until she opened her mouth and vomited out a slime covered figure.

" _Ugh… he was making such a racket in my stomach…"_

"Damn snake! What's the deal with bringing these dead bugs to me?!" Gedatsu shouted angrily, before locking eyes with Chopper.

"YOU!" his eyes widened "How dare you humiliate me back in my Ordeal?! I will-" the priest was suddenly grabbed by the reindeer and hoisted to his feet.

"How are you even still alive?!" Chopper snapped "And I have no time to deal with you! We're in a lot of trouble!"

"What?! I don't see any trouble?"

"WHY ARE YOU ROLLING YOUR EYES INTO THEIR SOCKETS?!"

"Chopper, who's this guy? You know him?" Luffy asked as he kicked away another bug.

"No, not really. Just some big idiot that I had to get past to find this place."

"HEY!"

"Well it can't be helped. Can you fight?" Luffy asked.

"I am a Priest of Enel-sama! My abilities rank higher than any of yours!" Gedatsu responded arrogantly, completely forgetting how Chopper beat him earlier.

"Good, then help us!"

Gedatsu was about to follow suit before he realized what's going on "Wait a minute! You are all heretics! Why should I assist you?"

His demand was not answered as a trio of Meganulon ambushed him, leaping onto his back. The priest screamed as he tried to buck them off, only for a flurry of blows to knock them off for him.

"Raccoon… you…"

"Don't think I've forgiven you for what you did to us earlier, but we need to get out of here first." Chopper sighed in his Arm Point "If you want to get out of here alive, then help us!"

Gedatsu looked for a bit longer, before leaping to join them as another group of Meganulon charged towards the group.

 _Meanwhile:_

"I don't think we can hold for much longer!" Gian shouted as he fired an **Atom Ray** , incinerating a group of insects where they stood. The Kaiju-Zoan duo were now covered in scratches and bite marks, and as the fight dragged on, they can feel themselves getting weaker.

"We have to… I'm not strong enough to fly yet…" Ryugetsu shot back as he blasted a gust of wings with a wing beat "Just a bit longer…"

"How much is a bit?!" Gian grunted as more bugs dogpiled him, forcing him down. He threw them off with a roar but it was already very straining "I think the numbers are actually getting higher!"

"Just wait!" Ryugetsu snapped, leaping up to avoid another slew of bugs. As more Meganulon surged towards them from all directions, they began to pile onto Gian. Ryugetsu at this point had flown a fair distance away but Gian was now crushed under a living bed of insects.

And then the order came.

"NOW! USE AN ATOM PULSE!"

The blinding flash of light came a quarter second after the command, the following shockwave scorching the bugs in their shells and blowing them into pieces. In a flash, Ryugetsu swooped down, grabbing the exhausted Gian and dashed back towards the hole in the ceiling. The only thing that accompanied them were the angry shrills of a tide of Meganulon, enraged that their prey got away.

* * *

"God… what the hell was that…" Gian panted as he fell to his knees. The two Kaiju-Zoan users looked extremely worse for wear as their clothes were now in tatters and fresh wounds covering their bodies "Come on, I just got this shirt!"

"I don't believe it… all this time there was something like that within the Upper Yard…" Ryugetsu observed.

"And they would've killed us if you hadn't been able to regain the stamina needed to fly. I'm just glad you recovered as quickly as you did."

"Actually… I was able to fly again for quite some time there." Ryugetsu admitted kind of sheepishly "I just wanted to take as many of them down with that last attack as possible. It would help even a little bit."

Gian deadpanned "… if you hadn't just saved my life I'd kill your right here!"

"Hehe, you had your chance earlier. Too late for that." he then grew serious.

"Whatever's down there, it isn't just going to stay there. Did you notice earlier, while they attacked us?" Ryugetsu noted "That attack wasn't random, those bugs were coordinated and focused. If I had to say, it would be as if they were targeting us specifically."

"You're right… something isn't right here." Gian agreed "The fact that as if nobody knew they were down there, it's like they were purposely hidden until someone ventures underground. The question is, how long are they going to stay that way?"

"I do not want to wait for that answer… right now, we have a potentially bigger threat than the end of the Survival Game." Ryugetsu looked grim. He then turned to his fellow Kaiju-Zoan users.

"Go, fetch our weapons. We need to inform anyone that's still standing."

"Shandora… a few of my nakama are there. This could affect them too." Gian looked somber "We don't have much time."

"Then let's go, we need to warn as much people as we can!"

The two set off immediately, a new goal in mind. The Ruins of Shandora seemed so far away, and time was something they did not have.

"Everyone! We have problems! A lot of them!"

When they finally reached the ruined city, they wasted no time in their attempts to inform others of their discovery. Where was everyone?

"Guys! Zoro? Luffy? Robin?" Gian panted as he ran "We have a big situation here! We need to-!"

* * *

His voiced died as he and Ryugetsu arrived at the center of the city, both eyes widening in shock.

The only thing ingrained in their vision was the sight of Robin getting stuck down by a blast of lightning from Enel.

 _Meanwhile:_

"Those bugs are… *sniff… they're leaving!" Chopper noted.

"They just backed off… weird." Luffy agreed.

"Perhaps they know they're no match for us?" Gedatsu said.

All of them are tired but they managed to fend off the swarm. Now they noted that something was amiss.

"I can still sense them with Mantra… they're all heading for one location…" Gedatsu declared.

"…I sense them too… Wait!" Aisa's eyes suddenly widened "Two aura signatures… really stong! I've never seen such powerful auras before!" the girl closed her eyes and focused.

"No… I have… one of them is the God Bird! They're growing distant, separating themselves from the horde of bugs!"

"Ryugetsu is with them?!" Gedatsu noted with alarm.

"Then the other large aura must be Gian!" Luffy shouted "They're together somehow! How did that happen?"

"Oh no! Didn't Gian say something about how Ryugetsu is one of God's associates? What if he's in trouble?" Chopper cried.

"If Ryugetsu is indeed with him, then it's safe to assume that your friend is no longer standing." Despite the animosity, Gedatsu greatly fears the power bestowed to the flying acolyte. It's something he can't come close to "He is a merciless warrior that makes quick finishes to his foes and-"

"The God Bird does not want to hurt anyone!" Aisa cried out. Gedatsu only shook his head.

"Little girl, there's much you don't know about how we came to be. Ryugetsu is a monster contained in a Birkan body and-"

"He's not a monster! He's only with you guys because that madman for a God forced him to!"

Gedatsu's eyes widened "D-don't say that! Enel-sama will hear you!" he said fearfully. Enel had all of Skypiea and the Upper Yard under his eye. His Mantra was able pick up even the smallest electric signals of a brain wave. This allowed him to have a near omnipresence on the Island, and he could act accordingly should he ever catch wind of something unpleasant. Because of this, Gedatsu was visibly surprised when no strike of lighting hit where the little girl is.

"I know that's the fact, I just know it!" Aisa continued.

"But… Nola said that Ryugetsu attacked him…" Chopper whispered. The large snake bowed her head.

" _Come to think of it, the cause of that was more on my impulsiveness than anything else… annoying as it is to admit."_

"I used to think that it was the case too, that the God Bird is just an underling of Enel and doing his bidding. But that day made me realize different, the day he saved me in the Upper Yard…"

 **Flashback** _:_

" _Help! Help!"_

 _Sneaking into the Upper Yard to collect Vearth is a common past time for Aisa. Curious as she is she'd always seen the things that the rest of the Shandia view as sacred as near mythical. Their new camp being in a place where Enel is unable to find them, she had plenty of opportunities to go exploring._

 _But going into the territory of God was dangerous, not just because of the priests, but because of other things. She had already stayed far longer than she anticipated, and the risk of Enel coming for her now is greater than ever. Instead of the usual route home she needed to take a shorter way, this one by a cloud river, very close to where the Priest Satori had his trials. The rotund priest seemed to be busy elsewhere, because it was not him that attacked her just then._

 _Panting as she ran, as another monstrous gurgle sounded behind her, her Mantra picked up movement to her right. The clouds erupted as the massive eel-like creature sprung from the vapors again, snapping down and narrowly missing her. This sky lamprey has been chasing her ever since it picked up her presence, and the predator jawless maw was now intent on swallowing her. The fish was tenacious, repeatedly lunging at her without pause._

 _Try as she might, the fish was hot on her heels, and just before she reaches the edge of the territory where the Shandians are camped out at it seemed like her luck ran out when. Not looking where she was running, she tripped over a stray root and landed heavily into the ground. A hiss behind her indicated that the lamprey had caught up, revealing it's toothed circular mouth ready to devour her._

 _Time seemed to slow down as the fish lunged its head forward. Her eyes shut as to not see her demise, then snapping open again as gust of wind tore past her, and the next thing she knew was a winged figured delivering a rapid kick towards the massive lamprey. The jawless fish gurgled in fury as it threw itself against this perpetrator, but the winged warrior vanished almost instantaneously, reappearing behind the creature and lashing out with a spear and chain. A few more exchanges and the larger than life fish gurgled in pain before disappearing beneath the cloud cover._

 _Aisa was breathing rapidly; although she's never met him personally, every Skypiean and Shandian knew who this winged warrior was. Every so often they would see him circling the skies, out of reach. The lone wolf, the winged observer, the Bird of God: Ryugetsu._

 _And more importantly in this context, a subordinate of God Enel._

 _Fear began to overtake her thoughts now; the bird of God reports directly to God Himself, is that what he's going to do? Inform god of this little trespasser on his Holy Land? What would God do to her?_

 _She barely noticed that Ryugetsu landed lightly in front of her, peering down with an unreadable expression._

 _Then he spoke._

" _A Child of the Shandia… why are you intruding on God's domain?"_

 _His voice was lower than she'd expected, much lower. It's not a wrathful priest, but more of a chastising parent._

 _Mustering up her courage she looked him in the eye. They were firm, yet she couldn't sense any hostility from him. He was also certainly much taller than she was._

" _I-I-I… I'm here b-because…" damn the shaking of her voice. However, Ryugetsu hardly took notice._

" _This is no place for anyone, least of all a child." The winged warrior spoke "Aside from the dangerous creatures that inhabit the forest, the rest of Enel-sama's priests also roam the place." He then took notice of the small sack in her hands._

" _What is that you got there…?"_

 _Aisa paled, stealing Vearth from God's domain, and now being caught for it?"_

" _I-It's what belongs to us!" making sure her voice quivered as least as possible, she told him that fact. This caused the warrior to raise an eyebrow._

" _Er- I mean- It's-" she falters; Even though Wiper is constantly finding a way for the Shandia to return to the home that rightfully belongs to them, actually doing so was far too much of a challenge. This close to their new home was far enough so that Enel can't detect those blasphemous words, but who knows what his bird would do?_

 _But if Ryugetsu thought something of it, he didn't show it. A simple closing of his eyes and turning away with a short "I see." was all that he said._

 _Aisa blinked "So…"_

" _You should probably leave. The Priest will find you soon if you don't, and they won't be as lenient as I am."_

" _Y-you're just going to let me go? A-are you going to tell God that-"_

 _Ryugetsu sighed, and only now did Aisa compose herself enough to manage her Mantra again. During the earlier conversation, her demeanor has been thrown off balance and in her panic she didn't use it. But now, her Mantra picked up what she didn't see before, and it was almost enough to overwhelm her._

 _She couldn't help but gasp; Ryugetsu emitted an aura of so much anguish and sadness that she can't help but wonder what the warrior had experienced. Underneath the calm exterior laid something broken, and try as she might, she couldn't comprehend it._

" _Our being here has already caused far too much pain." The winged acolyte muttered with a tinge of regret "Why shed any more blood over such insignificant matters?"_

" _B-but what about-?"_

" _What my duty to Enel is none of your concern, it is a burden I bear alone. I will promise you here that I will not reveal the hidden location of your people, but you need to leave, and never come back here." Ryugetsu demanded. In that moment, Aisa's mantra picked up a change in Ryugetsu's spirit; the winged warrior was now surrounded by a brownish red veil similar to that of a massive bird like creature. The emotions she felt before were compounded tenfold._

 _The shifting in the air signaled the arrival of another. Aisa hurridly picked up the sack of Vearth and ran off in direction of her home. She looked back only once to see a rotund winged warrior riding on a round, white ball descend towards Ryugetsu. Satori had picked up the commotion in the area, but it would appear that Ryugetsu convinced him that he's got it handled._

* * *

 _Since that day, Aisa's curiosity towards Ryugetsu only increased further. It was through her readings of some of her tribes' old manuscripts did she learn about the legend of the so called God Bird._

 _Supposedly. Thousands of years ago, the Shandia's homeland were at the mercy of a new predator, vicious insects the size of canines. They terrorized the creatures of the land, draining their vitality should they catch them. The ancient Shandia were almost wiped out completely by this plague, but their savior came at an unexpected form._

 _From the skies descending a pair of monstrous flying beasts, like the greatest eagles with nary a feather and wings that bring about gale-force winds. These beasts clashed with the insect swarm, slaughtering them by the dozens. It was through this that the bugs were driven underground, forever fearful of this new threat._

 _Since then, the birds have only been seen a handful of times and eventually they disappeared from their written records. But even so, once in a blue moon whispers of rumors of certain individuals growing leathery wings of flight match that of the divine bird._

 _She is certain Ryugetsu is one of the people who share that power, but she doesn't know how that came to be._

 _She does know one thing: those emotions she felt the other day, they were genuine. Ryugetsu was too complicated for her to figure out._

 _The other members of the Shandia took notice of her new behavior towards the myths of old, but all brushed it off as nothing to worry about. Meanwhile, Aisa was busy trying to figure out just what set of circumstances made Ryugetsu ally with a God as despised as Enel. She has a rough theory, but that's all it is. She hopes that, one day, her questions can be answered._

 _Time passes, and it would appear that Ryugetsu has kept his word on not reporting the case of Aisa. She still sees him from time to time, circling the skies per usual. Despite that, the little girl never had the chance to meet the warrior up close again._

 **Flashback End**

"What I felt from him that other day, I don't know why, but I know he's not a bad person." Aisa gave a small smile "he has his own thoughts, and no matter how God tries to control him, he can't suppress those thoughts."

"So he's a good person then?" Luffy ponders.

"W-well, I don't know that… it's just a gut feeling."

"Well then it's nothing to worry about. I'm sure Gian can handle this!" the rubber boy smiled

"You have a lot of misplaced faith in your friend's abilities…" Gedatsu shook his head.

"I know he can" Luffy grinned "We just need to focus on how to get out of here."

A blessing came in the form of a grinning Chopper as he hopped onto Nola's head "Good news everyone! Nola says she can smell the surface! And after sniffing around a bit, I think she might be right!"

"Then we need to go!" everybody hopped onto the back of the giant snake, save for Gedatsu as Nola has no intention of letting the poor priest anywhere close to her, before hurrying to the exit to this cave.

 _Meanwhile:_

"ROBIN! NO!"

"E-Enel-sama…" Ryugetsu gasped out as he witnessed the scene. Around the self-proclaimed God of Skypiea laid multiple people. The previous God, Gan Fall was unconscious as his suit of armor smoldered. Meanwhile, Robin had fallen out cold as a desperate Gian hurried over to her and attempted to rouse her back awake. His fear and anger only increased as he witnessed Zoro charging at the God, only to be struck down by a similar bolt of electricity. Wiper also followed suit, and due to a lucky break thanks to a combination of a jet ski laced with kairoseki and a reject dial, he had originally managed to land a devastating blow onto Enel. The possibility of a victory ended however as the God rose again in a shower of electricity, before firing off another blast and shocking the warrior into submission as well. But the berserker continued to get up, wounded but defiant. His ancestors were on the line, and they've finally reached their home. He soon learned that Enel had no intention of leaving, and one final blast of lightning brought Wiper out of commission as well.

The two Kaiju-Zoan users witnessed it all in stunned silence, and it was only once the dust settled did Enel turn to them.

"My Beasts, it would appear only you two are worthy enough to join me in Fairy Vearth. Come, we will depart immediately."

"W-what are you trying to say…?" Gian was almost white with fury at this point. The sight of two of his nakama lying on the ground, fate uncertain, made him reach for Atom Splitter strapped to his back. Only his logic managed to keep him in control.

"It's time for me to depart this land. People were not meant to live in the sky, and it's up to God to keep that order in check." Enel explained "The time of Skypiea has come to an end. As my guardian beasts, you will accompany me to the endless land as it is to be expected."

"L-leave? Enel-sama, don't tell me that-" Ryugetsu choked out.

"Yes, Skypiea will have to be annihilated, a small sacrifice in the grand scheme of things."

* * *

"You can't do that, there's still people on there!" Gian shouted.

Enel closed his eyes and shrugged "Whatever happens to the lives of mortals do not interest me. I am here to pass my divine law, nothing more. This land can offer me nothing else, I've already found the gold in this place, uncovered as much secrets as there is. There's no use keeping it around."

Ryugetsu gritted his teeth; any hope of warning anybody about the impeding insects beneath the Upper Yard dissolved when they came upon the mad God. There wasn't a sliver of a chance that Enel would care about this.

"Thousands of people are down there… you're just going to kill them?!" Ryugetsu demanded.

"Yes, all life are mine to take as I wish, because I am God!" Enel sneered "Do not think you are above me to give me advice, Ryugetsu."

Ryugetsu's face warped into a mask of fury "All these years… does your madness have no limit…" he could no longer hold himself back, his own fear melting away at this revelation "As we speak, there are perhaps millions of monstrous insects down below us… and all you can think of is ascending to your so called heaven?! WAS BIRKA NOT ENOUGH?!"

However, Enel hardly paid him any attention "Back in Birka, they all doubted my findings for that of a heretic. Now, while they scatter as ashes with the wind, I've ascend above all of them. I care little about the affairs here, a God has no shortage of territory that he can take. Whether or not your so called insects make their way to the surface and causes destruction is no skin off my back." Enel scoffed, relishing in the increasing outrage of his acolyte "Now, you may be wondering why I've been waiting on you two. As Kaiju-Zoan users, you are the perfect fit for a God."

"…What…" Gian was also enraged by the madman's tone of indifference, but he didn't expect those words to pop out of Enel's mouth "Ryugetsu said that-"

"All Devil Fruits are the same to us Birkans? I expected as much." Enel chuckled "It's true, back in Birka those fools had that backward type of thinking. It was only through discovery that I've gained knowledge on the subject. It's certainly quite interesting, how beasts of legend have taken place in a simple Devil Fruit. Ryugetsu was one of those who were blessed with the power of a beast of a bygone era, and now you are as well. Such power is untamed, unpredictable, and only rightfully should belong with a God. It is up to me to temper that power, make it so that you are the perfect guardians for me!"

"So that's what this is all about? You want to turn us into your pets?" Gian growled.

"You're perceptive, that's a good quality to have. Without a God's guidance, two beasts such as yourself are nothing more than savages! It's my duty to enlighten you and use your power for what they're worth. Only God is worthy enough to hold onto a power like that." only now did Gian get a glimpse of how deep within his hubris Enel is.

"Now, join me, and we will depart to Fairy Vearth" Enel stated. When neither of the two moved, he only sighed "Well, can't say that I'm surprised. You two are too misguided to see the bigger picture. If you really want to stay with this wasteland until its end, then you can join the rest of your insolent companions!"

Ryugetsu was shaking with rage. Even as all the life is being taken, all Enel can care about is his own selfish desires. He wasn't surprised, considering what kind of person the God is, but it didn't make it any less infuriating.

* * *

8 years of having to witness up close at the arrogance and hubris of Enel, 8 years of having to get past the trauma of losing his entire island and people, his bottled up anger was beginning to spill over, and soon it will flow like a broken dam.

"No more… I won't let you hurt anyone anymore…" Enel turned back briefly, but Ryugetsu has already vanished.

"I'M DONE BEING AFRAID!"

Quicker than sound, Ryugetsu's kusarigama lashed out, the sickled slicing through the air faster than Enel's Mantra can track. Ryugetsu aimed for his head, a sure fire kill.

The blade stuck right below Enel's bandanna… and passed right through it.

"Tsk tsk tsk…" Enel sighed "All these years… you still haven't learned your place."

* * *

Ryugetsu hardly had a chance to blink when Enel appeared behind him. He immediately lashed out with a foot, but that passed through the God as well.

"You truly are a savage beast… **50 million Volt Vari!"**

And Ryugetsu howled in pain as the electricity crackeled into his body, before eliciting an explosion and knocking him back hard into a nearby ruin.

"Do you really think I did not notice you cursing my name every so often? Do you really think I haven't noticed what you've done with the Skypieans?" Enel sneered as he watched Ryugetsu struggle to get up "Your pathetic display of defiance didn't work back in Birka, what makes you think you can even do anything now?"

"I have nothing else left to lose…" Ryugetsu choked out "All that's left… is to see you die!" he flew at him again, but Enel is just too fast, transforming into lightning and sidestepping the blow. Enel only chuckled before raising his golden staff and tapping two of the drums strapped to his back.

"Once again, I'll have to show you the power of God. **Kiten!"**

From the glowing drums, a massive flash of electricity seared out in the shape of a wolf like beast. It slammed into Ryugetsu's chest, causing him to scream in agony. This time, he fell to his knees as the attack ended, struggling to catch a breath but not getting any due to Enel flashing in front of him and grasping him around his windpipe.

"And you think you can muster up even the slightest resistance. An untamed beast like yourself… THINK YOU CAN STAND UP TO GOD?!" Ryugetsu's howls of pain could be heard for miles as Enel coursed millions of volts through his body, but the Kaiju-Zoan user continued his defiant glare. This lasted until he was dropped, gasping hard. Ryugetsu could do nothing but stare in rage as Enel raised his staff, preparing to drive it through his despondent subordinate's head.

"I will admit… it is a bit of a shame to put a good beast down…" and down he thrusted.

 ***CLANG**

* * *

Sparks flew as the two alloys clashed together, Enel frowned as he saw Atom Splitter's blade push against his golden staff. With a heave, Gian swung his weapon in an arc, bringing it down but missing as Enel back flipped out of the way.

"That weapon… it has the same material as Warrior Wiper's skates… You wish to harm me?"

"You're perceptive… that's a good quality to have." Gian drawled as he locked gazes with Enel. Even the God could feel an underlying sense of bestial rage coming from the youth, but he had nothing to be afraid of, he was God after all.

"You and I have no quarrel. You can still come with me, you could even be worthier than Ryugetsu." Enel sneered. Gian's response was to fire out an **Atom Ray,** the thermonuclear beam lancing a hole through the God's electric body.

"Originally, our plan was simple. We wanted the gold… and then we continue with our adventure. Your Survival Game made us get involved into all this…" Gian charged, Atom Splitter raised in the air.

"That could've been fine and all, but you crossed the one line you shouldn't have!" he then pointed at the prone forms of Robin and Zoro lying, barely conscious "you hurt my nakama, but more importantly… you've hurt _her!"_

It would be at a later date that he truly realized the implications of what he said, but in the heat of the moment, the sight of Robin being struck by lightning was enough to make him want to disembowel the God in front of him.

"Yahahaha… I see, your sentiments for you friends is admirable. I will remove such foolish thoughts from your head." The two clashed again, steel matching gold as the two weapons slammed together. However, even with the seastone of Atom Splitter, Enel was simply too fast for him to land a good hit. If even Ryugetsu can't match his speed? What good can he do? However, unlike Ryugetsu, Enel's Logia body has no reason to fear his radiation heat blasts. So to charge forwards with Atom Splitter raised is the only option he has.

And it appears Enel knows this, as he soon disengaged and began to bombard him with volts of electricity. Gian was stuck by multiple as he tried to avoid them. Enel sneered as he tapped two of his drums again.

" **30, 000, 000 Volt Hino!"** another wave of lightning, this time in the form of a bird-like creature screeched as it emerged from the glowing drums, eveloped Gian as the Kaiju-Zoan user entered a world of pain. However, Gian didn't fall after that, though standing was incredibly hard.

"Hmmm, you're more resilient than Ryugetsu was. Impressive, but not enough, Yahahaha." Enel cackled.

A roar then alerted him as Gian went Partial Transformation, lunging at him faster with Atom Splitter ready for blood. Behind him, Ryugetsu recovered as well and also entered Partial Transformation, screeching as he also dashed forwards with claws out stretched.

"Such wild beasts… let God tame you!" Ryugetsu reached him first, and in his Logia form Enel took no damage as the attacks passed through him harmlessly. His Mantra then detected the falling of Gian's blade as he simply blinked into the sky.

"God shall bring you both down… **El… THOOOOR!"**

* * *

And two massive pillars of lightning slammed into the ground from the sky, directly on top of the two Kaiju-Zoan users. When the dust cleared, both were lying face down, no longer able to put of any fight. They had witnessed the power of a God, and even as monsters, it shows them that they're still nothing compared to a God.

Enel sneered as he witnessed the two downed Kaiju-Zoan users. The Kaiju were impressive, but God's power was more than that. His attention was then turned to a shaking figure curled in the corner of one of the runes. Ah right, her.

"Woman, it seems like you are the only one left. Perhaps you can accompany me to Fairy Vearth?"

Nami gulped, she'd witnessed this God- This devil- strike down both her friends and others with short order. Just how powerful is he? There's no way she can put up a fight, when not even her nakama could do anything.

"I-I'll do it! I'd like to come with you!"

It was the only way she could save herself at this point. Later, before they leave, she'll find a way to escape. In the meantime, she'd have to go along with him, hoping there would be an opportunity soon. With that she grabs the Waver, hoping for a chance to make a quick getaway soon.

* * *

Shortly after the God departed, Gian and Ryugetsu began to stir. Fresh wounds littered their bodies, adding to their exhaustion. Their defeat at the hands of God was to be expected, but what are they going to do now? There was still the topic of the insects…

"Ok… that did not work…" Gian groaned as his wounds began to heal.

"Forgive me… I wasn't able to keep my emotions in check." Ryugetsu winced, he was wounded worse; only the thought of protecting the people here made him continue.

"Yeah… next time I'd do my research before going against a Logia…" he then smiled lightly at Ryugetsu "Then again, you had a lot of guts for finally going up against that asshole. It appears that I'd been wrong about what I said earlier…"

"Save it, you saw how much good that did…" Ryugetsu sighed "we should've saved our energy for what's to come. We weren't even able to Transform Fully at the time, now it'll be delayed even further."

"OH NO! WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE?!"

* * *

The shocked voice of Chopper alerted the two of them as they saw the rag tag group race up to them. Chopper immediately went to attempt and tend the wounds of those struck down, while the remaining ones looked around with disbelief.

"E-Enel-sama did this…" Gedatsu observed.

"WHAT?! WHERE IS HE RIGHT NOW?!" Luffy snarled.

"That's not important… there's something bigger than all of us here, bigger than even what a mad God has planned for us…" Gian wheezed out.

"What? What's going to happen?" Luffy cried out.

"It's hard to explain… but they're down there! Immeasurable numbers! I-I don't know how much time we have, but we need to-"

"Wait… earlier we saw some bugs underground!" Chopper remembered "Gian, don't tell me that-"

"You saw them too?! That's exactly it! We have no idea what they're doing down there. According to Ryugetsu there were next to no records of it! We have to keep them from-"

* * *

Aisa suddenly screamed "SOMETHING'S COMING TO THE SURFACE!"

"Huh?! My Mantra picked it up too!" Gedatsu yelped.

Ryugetsu staggered up, fear in his eyes "No… not something… a swarm… it's them… they're coming… it's too late…"

A low buzzing sound, one that gradually grew louder, made the group look up. What they saw made each of them felt an unsettling feeling deep in their stomach.

Thousands upon thousands of insects, the same ones the group have witnessed underground, emerged over the canopy.

With one major difference: they've now sprouted wings, and are flying across the sky.

And as the cloud of insects began to blanket the skies, there was only one question on everyone's minds:

What will become of Skypiea and the Upper Yard?

 **A/N: and there we have it! We're nearing the climax of the arc! In addition to Enel, Skypiea will now be under siege by the Meganulon as well, and soon another monster will join the fray. All will come to a head as the next few chapters hit the scene. I don't have as much to say here, aside from keep waiting for that! In the meantime, I appreciate some of the questions I'm getting; it's nice to see how curious people are for this story! With that being said, I predict the Skypiea Arc should probably last for another 3-4 chapters before we can finally get on with that Original Arc I've got planned! We'll see you next time!**

 **Responses to Reviews:**

 **To keysjake36:**

 **G: Well, out of the frying pan and into the fire I suppose.**

 **He'll have to fight a lot more!**

 **To Son of Whitebeard:**

 **I would say so. A lot of people don't enjoy the Skypiea Arc for obvious reasons, but the fact that it brought so much world building to One Piece is something that can't be ignored.**

 **To The Storm Master 567:**

 **I wouldn't bet on it. Usually for character deaths in this story, it's either for the goal of development, as in the case of Mr. 0.5, or in Arlong's case it was due to me going to change up how a future Arc is going to go (you know the one). I generally tend to kill of other characters only if I'm certain that removing them will either not have too much of an effect or not matter at all. And as for Enel, I want to say that I perhaps still have something going on for him much later down the path.**

 **And yes, you can expect at least one Kaiju-Zoan user that was in the Roger Pirates.**

 **To Chance Green G King:**

 **Glad you enjoy it, should come to a head soon enough!**

 **To JayH120:**

 **R: I'm overjoyed to see how well my reception is. It brings a tear to my eye.**

 **G: Ok, I don't get it, why does he sound so courteous in the comment section but in the story he sounds normal?**

 **It's called manners Gian, maybe you ought to learn some.**

 **G: Oh, that's why- HEY!**

 **Yeah, I wanted to keep some things similar but touch up on other things. So we'd have something fresher in this arc and the arcs to come.**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **Hope you enjoyed the Meganulon here, they'll be around for a bit longer!**

 **To SubZPhantomX:**

 **Glad you liked it so far! Hope you enjoy the rest! I know the start of the story is a bit slow but to some people it picks up later on!**

 **And that's all for this time! We'll see you all hopefully soon!**

 **Leave a Review and all will be well!**

 **G: Or will it be?**

 **R: It probably will be.**


	53. As the Sky Falls

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Skypiea Arc opening: Skyreach (Akame Ga Kill! Op. 1)**

"Ok… just stay calm… stay calm…" Gian slowly mumbled to himself. Everything was just happening so fast! In less than 24 hours, he had already found a lost city of gold, squared off with an opposing Kaiju-Zoan user, got his ass handed to him by a supposed God, and now there's giant flying insects emerging en mass towards the surface. The day hasn't even ended yet!

"WHAT DO WE DO?! WHAT DO WE DO?!" Chopper cried as the bugs began to spread. The buzzing is much louder now as more of them pour towards the surface of their subterranean dwelling as they fan out across the skies.

"Maybe they haven't seen us yet… they don't seem to be coming towards us" Gian observed. Indeed, the massive insects seem to be spreading out more, not quite taking notice of the group down below. While some have descended back down to the canopy, none seemed to reach the ruins quite yet.

* * *

Meanwhile, some of the others were quite shaken and confused. Just earlier they were trapped in the depths of a subterranean cavern, and now the horrors down below have come to the surface.

Aisa, however, looked upon the threat in a different light. Once she'd thought that these creatures were something she's read from an ancient Shandian manuscript. It was only down in the caves below did the supposed myths come to light.

The hordes of insects, the same ones listed in that legend, were now pouring out of the ground in multitudes. She glanced at Ryugetsu after this; could the legends really be true.

Meanwhile, the more immediate problem was figuring out what came next.

"Well, maybe we'll be lucky! Maybe those insects aren't interested in us!" Chopper gave a shaky smile

Ryugetsu closed his eyes briefly, focusing hard. This came to an end when he snapped them open with an audible gasp.

"Those things… they just attacked a South Bird…"

* * *

"What? How do you know?" Luffy asked.

"With Mantra… I felt the presence of multiple auras all converging on one… before that one disappears soon after!"

The group shared a worried glance as more and more insects poured to the surface. It was only until the other Mantra users detected more distressing news did they realize how severe the situation is.

"These bugs… they're attacking the animals here… but they don't seem to be eating them…" Aisa noted "No… they're leaving the husk behind… why are they leaving behind the body?"

"Waah! What if they come after me?" Chopper wept.

"E-Energy…"

Gian whirled around, a part of him filled with relief. Robin painfully opened her eyes as she tried to get up. The Kaiju-Zoan user immediately went over and helped her into a sitting position."

"You're alright… thank god…" he breathed.

"I don't think we'd be thanking God any time soon, considering what just happened."

"AH! Um… I meant actual metaphorical god, not whatever the hell that bastard is!" Gian stammered. Robin only smiled lightly before becoming more serious.

"Those insects… they're not attacking the wildlife for food, they're using them as a source of energy."

"Energy… how would that work?" Ryugetsu asked "And how do you know this?"

"Within the ruins… I found lots of things. One of them, a bit harder to find, but it claims it there… the Meganulon… an ancient race of large insectoid creatures… they emerge every 100 years or so to feed… to drain…" she then doubled over in a coughing fit, Enel must have hit her hard.

"Take it easy…" Gian whispered before turning his attention to the rest of them "Robin just gave us some good information. We now know what their purpose is, and what those things are."

"But even if those Meganulon are here, how do we stop them?" Chopper questioned "Not to mention there's perhaps thousands of them! What can just the few of us do?"

His answer was delayed by a loud boom, as the crew turned towards even deeper within the ruined city of Shandora. They were quick to notice a dark cloud gathering rapidly over a certain area. That can only mean one thing:

* * *

"E-Enel-sama! What's he doing?" Gedatsu whimpered.

Luffy balled his fists up angrily "Enel! That bastard! He was the one that attacked my nakama!"

"Stop that! Do you want to incur his wrath?!" Gedatsu yelped, but no lightning strike came, much to his surprise and confusion.

He was still confused when Ryugetsu pointed his face towards his own.

"Gedatsu… do you perhaps know why Enel hasn't taken action against any insults since the day began? Normally he'd know all, but he's been silent up to now?"

"W-well… he has been a bit quiet for the last few hours- wait, what are you implying?"

"It's obvious at this point. Enel is leaving here, and he's leaving this place to die. Why bother killing one person when the entire land will be destroyed?" Ryugetsu scoffed. Gedatsu was wide-eyed.

"That's heresy! How dare you imply any of that?! Enel-sama wouldn't leave this place while we're still-" he was shut down when Ryugetsu backhanded him.

"Open your eyes Gedatsu… do you honestly think that Enel even cares about what happens here?!" the acolyte snarls "Ever since we defeated both the Skypieans and Shandia in one fell swoop, he has done nothing but flaunt himself in the form of a God! Why do you think he hasn't acted at all during all this?" when the priest was unable to come up with an answer, Ryugetsu only sighed.

"I don't blame you for blindly following him… he was charismatic back on Birka, and he continues to be now. But the truth is, when Enel departs in his arkship, he'll destroy all of Skypiea! That, or these Meganulon would do it first!"

"W-what?! B-but he said… he said that-"

"He'll take us all with him to Fairy Vearth?" Ryugetsu scoffed "He never intended to do that in the first place. If you're useful to him, he'll keep you around. Otherwise he'll discard you like garbage. And now, Skypiea is in danger from both the Meganulon, and whatever that madman wishes to unleash!"

* * *

Gedatsu fell to his knees, devastated. It's always been a point of contention on the fact that Ryugetsu was skirting the edges of disrespect against the self-proclaimed God, but now he could start to see why "T-then… we're doomed…"

"Well that's not going to happen! I'm going to kick his ass!" Luffy shouted. Gedatsu looked up horrified.

"Impossible! That's not possible! What can a simple boy from the Blue Sea do against God?" but Luffy ignored him.

"Where is he right now?" he asked.

"Before Enel departs, he must first board his arkship, the Maxim. Find the arkship, and you'll find him." Ryugetsu stated.

"Well, from that large thundercloud we can see in the distance… I assume that's where it is." Gian suggested.

"That's just not possible! Just one man can't stop a God!" Gedatsu wept "And besides, look around! All those bugs will spell the end for this place! We're-" his rant was stopped when Chopper punched him.

"Shut up! There has to be a way!"

"That's what I'm concerned about too…" Gian gritted "Enel is one thing, but the Meganulon knows no rhyme or reason… they have an ulterior purpose, but what?"

"Here they come!" Chopper yelled as the group looked up. It seemed that some of the Meganulon have noticed them at last, and come they did in droves and swarms. The swirling mass of insects, only a portion of the larger swarm, soon forced the group into a tight circle. And although the fighting abilities of the warriors pulverized multiple Meganulon before they can strike, sheer numbers were against them as more arrived.

It was at this point that Zoro, Wiper, and Gan Fall were roused from unconsciousness. To say the sight they came across was shocking would be an understatement.

* * *

"What the-? When did this become an infestation!" the green hair swordsman gasped, before slicing apart an incoming Meganulon.

"What horrors have befallen this place?" Gan Fall whispered.

Wiper was silent as he took in every detail, of how Shandora was being swarmed by these hideous arthropods. The sight of his ancestor's home being defiled both by the Mad God as well as these new invaders was enough to enrage him and make him spring into action, firing his bazooka in wild blasts and incinerating scores of insects. But the numbers seem unending, and soon the group was backed into a corner.

A quick explanation was in order, and those who missed out were soon brought up to date. Both Wiper and Gan Fall were horrified to hear the reason; they already had too much to deal with in Enel, now there's this too?

"Great… we now have something else in our way." Zoro scowled "How did we get mixed up in all this in the first place?"

"Sometimes I wonder myself how we keep getting into things like this, but that's not the point anymore. At this rate… it won't be long until they spread out to the entire area!" Gian grunted "Not to mention, Enel's going to ground zero this place if we don't do anything about him. We need a plan."

"Indeed, simply standing around and fighting is not the best idea here." Ryugetsu agreed "But how will we warn the people down below?"

Gian pondered for a while "In that case, the best idea would be for the fastest of us to go warn the Skypieans, as well as perhaps find a way to halt the insects. Meanwhile, those who can't get around easily should stick close to here. There's strength in numbers, you'll less likely be picked off and if you can hold your ground, it would matter in the long run."

"I take it that means I'll be staying near the ruins then." Zoro grunted before unsheathing two of his swords "Good, I'm in the mood to take on a few bugs anyway."

"And I'll help people here if they get hurt!" Chopper stated.

"If it's for the safety of Skypiea, there's nothing I won't lend my spear for!" the former God of Skypiea declared as well.

"I will be staying here as well." Robin nodded.

"Alright! That looks like a good home base team for now, and assume the giant snake and you are also fitting to fight?" Gian grinned. Nola's response was snapping up a handful of flying insects that tried to attack her.

"You guys are all mad! We're gonna die here!" Gedatsu groaned, but it seemed he resigned to his fate and joined the defenders.

"In that case, I'm the fastest." Ryugetsu stated "Along with Warrior Wiper's mobility in the air, we should-"

"Hold on," Wiper demanded "What makes you think I'm going to work with you guys?"

* * *

"Um, did you not notice what's-?" Gian grimaced, but Wiper wasn't finished.

"This whole ordeal was to get our home back, to finally reclaim the land that belongs to our ancestors. This isn't your fight, it's the Shandian's!"

"Warrior Wiper, the situation at hand is far different then what you set out for!" Gan Fall tried to coax "We are currently-"

"And this situation would be handled by us! You have no reason to-"

"Wiper, please!" the cries of the little girl brought him back down to earth "Please listen for once! This is something bigger than us!"

"Aisa…"

"We no longer just have Enel to worry about, our ancestors' home is now under threat by two different dangers!" Aisa cried "We have to save it, but the only way we can do that is to accept the help of everyone here! It's just too much otherwise!"

Wiper was silent, trying to process this information.

"In the past, the Shandia and Skypiea have had centuries of bloody conflict." Gan Fall stated solemnly "It has always been my wish to see peace between our people, this war has no reason to continue. Perhaps today, with the looming threat of the destruction of both our homes, let us stand together and overcome this!"

"You think you can just erase years of history with a statement?"

"No, but it's a place to start" Gian stated, looking at the berserker directly in the eye "You need to realize this is bigger than Shandora, bigger than Skypiea. In fact, it's bigger than all of us." Wiper was speechless, his emotions battling his logic at the moment "Enel will destroy the land, that's all he will do. The Meganulon on the other hand, their goal is energy. If the energy runs out here, they'll move onto another Sky Island, and then who knows where they go from there?"

"Right now, your home is under siege from two of the biggest threat's it will perhaps ever face. I understand that the grudges you have towards others is sound, but are you simply willing to see your home undergo destruction this easily?"

Wiper was stunned "Of course not! I will sacrifice my life ten times over for it!"

"Then fight, protect Shandora, protect the ones you care about. Just like the rest of us will. This may not be our fight, but it became that way the moment we entered the situation." Gian declared. Wiper was silent for a bit longer, before nodding with conviction.

* * *

"Some of my people are still in this twisted game. They probably have no idea that the situation has changed."

"Then we will have to go retrieve them. Do not worry, Warrior Wiper, we will get through this." Ryugetsu nodded "Now what shall we do about about Enel?"

Luffy pounded his fist "I'M GOING TO KICK HIS ASS!"

Ryugetsu shook his head "As much as I don't see eye to eye with Enel's priests, Gedatsu is right. Enel's power was greater than all of the Guardians of Birka, I don't see how a young pirate captain like you can do any better?"

"Actually, Luffy has a point." Gian grinned "Despite his looks, he's probably the only one that can stand against him."

Ryugetsu perked his head "I'm afraid I can't see what you see."

"Don't worry about it, we just need to get him there."

"He'll have to get there quick, in that case I'll let Pierre carry him to Enel." Gan Fall stated before beckoning to his large pink bird. Said bird soon transformed into a large flying horse "Go forth Straw Hat Luffy, the fate of Skypiea relies on you now."

"And I'll use my Mantra to lead you to him." Aisa said "Please be careful, everyone."

Robin stared at the large cloud growing in the distance; it will soon engulf the skies above them "For safety measures, we should move to a place where Enel's lightning would have less of a chance to reach us, lest we wish to be fried in a slow and agonizing death."

"The base of Giant Jack" Wiper stated "You should be safer there."

"OK, we all know what we're doing then? Then let's move!" Gian nodded as they prepared to head out.

"To have to carry you to where we're going…" Ryugetsu grimaced.

"Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures. Besides, Wiper's board and skates can't support both of us."

"I get it, let's just do this quickly. I want to ensure as little causalities as possible."

Wiper looked at the acolyte briefly. The two have been on opposing sides since 8 years ago, and Wiper made no secret of his animosity. He wondered what made the sudden change of heart.

"It not mean much to you, but despite the conflict between us, I'm glad you're on my side during all this." The berserker stated.

Ryugetsu sighed "let past grievances be, right now my only concern is not to let this place suffer the same fate as Birka."

"You know, I don't really take the legends of my ancestors all that seriously" Wiper said again "But if you truly are the God Bird that Aisa claims, help us this one time."

Ryugetsu glanced back at the little Shandian girl, now riding with Luffy and directing him towards Enel. The girl looked back once, and their eyes met before she quickly turned away. He sighed.

"I'm no God Bird, I'm just the unfortunate survivor of a lost land. But one thing I can promise, I won't let any more lives be lost today." He stated before he unfurled his wings and flew off with Gian in tow.

 _Later:_

"Remind us why we must go to your ship first?" Ryugetsu demanded. The two had parted ways from Wiper, who had gone off to search for the remaining Shandians, and are heading towards the Going Merry. More Meganulon have taken notice of their presence as of now, and they were forced to fight them off "We are wasting time, we should be down below in Angel Island to warn the others."

"This is important, I have to make sure Usopp and Sanji are alright" Gian answered "But importantly, there's something I need to get."

And soon they came across the ship. The Merry was being swarmed as well, and the duo could see that a group of insects have carried off two pudgy looking sky warriors and draining their energy through their mandibles.

"Hotori and Kotori… two of God's soldiers... brothers of Satori." Ryugetsu grimaced; he had no love for God's army but seeing any life being taken is saddening. He only wishes their deaths were quick.

"And down there… Sanji and Usopp!"

Indeed, the cook and sniper were backed into a corner as dozens of Meganulon remains lay scattered around them. Sanji was knocking them back with his kicks, while Usopp was just firing widely as tears streamed down his face. Soon, they were overwhelmed as well, and Sanji was quickly incapacitated down by 4 insects as they lifted them into the air. Gian chose now to spring into action, with one horizontal slice as he bisected the creatures and sent the cook crashing to the deck.

"Damn… Gian? What's going on here?!"

"There's been a change of plans." The Kaiju-Zoan user stated.

"Yeah… I can see that." Sanji grimaced "Where did all these things come from? Nobody said anything about bugs!"

"GIANNNBRFERFG! YOU CAME TO SAVE US!" Usopp wept as he clung to him. Gian only smiled lightly and patted his back.

"Now, where did I put my book?"

"We came all the way here to look for a book?!" Ryugetsu gave an aghast shout.

"AAHHH! IT'S THE BIRD MAN WE SAW EARLIER!" Usopp screamed.

"Relax, he's with me. But I think there's something in the book Robin gave me that said something about this!"

"We are in a race against time here, is that not what you said?"

"It's important! Just cover me while I look for what I came to find!" he then dashed into his room, where _Men among Monsters_ remained face up on the desk. Running back out, he furiously began to flip through the pages.

"What exactly are you looking for?!" Ryugetsu shouted again as he whipped up a blade of wind to slice apart a group of flying insects.

"Just wait! I think I almost found it. It's about- HERE!"

The details about the Meganulon were very vague, and according to the sources they were passed down from word to mouth. Still, with the information Robin gave them along with what's written, he may just have a theory.

"Ryugetsu! Do a Partial Transformation!"

"What? Why?"

"Just do it! I will as well."

And two moderate sized bursts of Aura caused Sanji and Usopp to shield themselves. They stared in shock and awe as two Partially Transformed beings stood in front of them, but that was soon lost as the Meganulon swarm around them whipped into a frenzy.

" **Now! Fly!"**

Ryugetsu dashed off into the air, carrying Gian with him. The latter soon grinned with elation as he saw what he predicted was true.

" **I see, now I get it!"**

" **What? What did you find?"** Ryugetsu demanded.

His question was answered when he heard Usopp give a surprised yelp.

"T-the bugs! They're leaving us!"

"Yeah… they're all going after those two…" Sanji noted.

It was true; the majority of the swarm in the area was now divebombing Gian and Ryugetsu with a vengeance, and while a few still attacked the two Straw Hats, it wasn't anything they can't handle. Meanwhile, the large swarm began to pursue the two Kaiju-Zoan users.

" **Now I get it…"** Ryugetsu ginned " **They're here to seek out energy… and the greater amount there is, the more they'll be drawn to it**! **But how did you know?** "

" **I didn't, it was only because Robin brought up that fact did a bit of a hypothesis come up in my head!"** Gian explained " **But now that it's used in procedure as well, we can use this fact to our advantage!"** he then turned to Sanji and Usopp.

" **Guys, do you see the giant beanstalk in the distance? Go there, Zoro, Chopper and Robin are there!"**

"Oh good, everyone is safe…" Usopp sighed in relief.

"But where's Luffy and Nami-san?" Sanji asked.

" **Nami got taken by Enel earlier, and Luffy went after him. You guys have to-"** he was interrupted by Sanji erupting into an angry flare.

"WHHHAATTT? THAT BASTARD KIDNAPPED NAMI-SWAN?! COME ON USOPP, WE'RE GOING TO SAVE HER!" and off he went, dragging the hapless sniper with him and bulldozing past any remaning Meganulon that got in his way.

" **Huh, that's new."** Gian blinked. He then took notice of the large swarm behind them.

" **Atom Firestorm!"** the large gout of Atomic energy that propelled out of his mouth incinerated every insect that got caught in the massive cone. It even propelled the two forward faster, and multiple charred bugs fell to the forest below. More took their place however, as they continued to pursue the energy source.

" **Good hit, but we can't lead this many into Angel Island."** Ryugetsu stated " **They'll be overrun within minutes**!"

" **I know, which means we'll have to find a way to stop as many as we can here first."** Gian panted " **Just give me a few seconds, an attack of that caliber burns me out rather quickly."**

" **We might not have much of those…"** Ryugetsu warned, and it was not hard to see why. The swarm had now regathered, and were pursuing them with a vengeance.

" **Although we won't be able to take as many out, perhaps you shouldn't waste too much of your strength. We need to keep at it until we find a way to stop them once and for all!"**

" **Easier said than done!"** Gian told him " **At the rate they're coming onto us, the amount that's pursuing us is greater than the amount I'm burning – OH SHIT!"**

Another large swarm, separate from the one after them, rose up from the forest down below. Ryugetsu couldn't avoid it in time and the two were assaulted by multiple slashing claws and snapping pincers. An **Atom Pulse** managed to disintegrate dozens of them, but soon the two were covered as the Meganulon began to sap them of their energy.

It seems they were overwhelmed, until a vicious gout of fire caused the ones around Gian to disperse, or incinerate depending on their proximity to the flames. Ryugetsu was not so lucky, he was still struggling with the insects attacking him and seemed to be in a deadlock until multiple shots rang out, splattering some of the Meganulon, and allowing him to dislodge the rest.

"It's Wiper!" Gian shouted in relief; the attack on them had drained enough energy that the two Kaiju-Zoan users had reverted back to regular form. Indeed, the berserker was standing tall on his waveboard, bazooka hoisted over his shoulder as he fired another stream of fire from the bazooka. Alongside him are multiple Shandian Warriors, those who were still able to fight, also joined him.

"Go on!" the warrior shouted "Go and help the Skypieans!"

"There may be too much for just you guys to hold them off." Ryugetsu noted.

"That's never stopped us before" Ryugetsu turned to see the same dark haired woman from the other day, hoisting her rifle over her shoulder and firing a few more rounds. She looked at him and gave him an unflinching look "we're just here to thin the herd, you focus on what you have to do!"

"Duly noted." Ryugetsu smiled in gratitude "Next stop, Angel Island."

* * *

With the two Kaiju-Zoan users speeding down the cloud river, leaving the Shandians to deal with the massive horde. And indeed, the numbers were stacked against them once again as the swarm poured towards the Shandians like a surging tide.

But that wasn't exactly the case.

"Wiper, look!" Kamakiri reported as he slashed down a group of insects with a flame dial sword "The insect abominations, they're heading towards that large storm cloud!"

Indeed, a large portion of the Meganulon in this area have departed and are now flying towards the massive thundercloud forming back at the ruins. Wiper had a grim expression: there was only one reason that cloud is forming.

"Enel… he's about to act. We have two problems to worry about now."

"Maybe these creatures noticed his presence, and are on their way to attack him?" Laki stated from beside him.

"Perhaps, but that might not be a good thing… for some reason, I can't shake the feeling that there's something more to it all this."

 _ **Meanwhile:**_

"ARE YOU THE ONE THEY CALL ENEL?!"

The self-proclaimed God hissed with annoyance. The road to his promised land has been riddled with obstacles, none he couldn't remove of course but annoying nonetheless. Once again, someone else is now in his way, one too many in his opinion.

Enel laughed inwards; this Blue Sea Monkey with that stupid straw hat is hardly worth his time! He is God, one who holds dominion over all! Why would a scrawny boy scare him!

Meanwhile, Nami, as glad she is to see her captain, was horrified. She trusted Luffy's strength, but Enel was on a whole different level! He single-handedly defeated powerful fighters without breaking a sweat! Luffy would be electrocuted!

But the boy showed no fear as he leapt off of the flying horse and landed on the deck of the ascending arkship, fire in his eyes.

"I am God, what does a mere mortal wish to speak to me about?" Enel said coldly "I do no recalling ever inviting you aboard."

"God? You actually think you're God?!" Luffy shouted "You're nothing more than an asshole!"

Enel snarled "In front of a God, you ought to show respect!" blue electricity began to crackle around him as he prepared to unleash his awesome power.

"Luffy! Be careful! Enel's not like a normal person!"

"You should listen to the woman, she is more sensible than you are!" as the Maxim rose higher into the sky, multiple bolts of lightning began to pepper the ground below them, instantly vaporizing the areas they touch.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Luffy roared.

"I'm casting my judgement upon this land. Once I leave, there will be no need for such a place to exist."

"You think everything lives or dies because of you?!" Luffy replied angrily.

"That's right, as God I have the will to judge all below me! Just like how I have the will to judge you!" blue light gathered around Enel's open palm as Luffy dashed at him. the God simply scoffed before unleashing his power.

" **El…. THORRRRR!"**

* * *

Luffy was consumed instantly, the beam of electricity so great it enveloped the area it struck. Nami and Aisa let out a horrified scream as they witnessed the scene, fearing the worst.

Only for the smoke to clear to reveal Luffy being completely unaffected.

" **60 000 000 Volt Julungul!"** another blast of lightning, this time the shape of a roaring dragon, slammed into the rubber boy again. Luffy braced himself against the force and stared angrily at the God as the same result occurred.

"Nami-san… how is he…?" Aisa was beginning to be confused. Nami's worries began to drop as a smile slowly developed.

"Of course… that all makes sense!"

" **200 million Volt Vari!"** a hint of desperation was beginning to set in for the mad God as he zapped the area with a field of electricity, intent on destroying this pest.

"GRR… STOP MESSING AROUND!"

"Luffy's made of rubber! Electricity can't affect him!" Nami cried in realization.

"No way!" Aisa stared in awe. Just what is this mysterious power? This boy from the Blue Sea was able to stand in the brunt of Enel, all powerful Enel, and where most would've been scoured from the land, he remains and it only made him madder!

Of course, none of these feelings even came close to the notion that is now planted within Enel's mind, and he made no secret of to contain it. The normally arrogant and spiteful God was now bearing the visage of a terrified animal: eyes bugged out, mouth completely unhinged in a silent scream. The impossible had just happened: this mortal, this _ape,_ not only stood against his omnipresent power but shrugged it off completely!

* * *

" _Calm yourself… so what if he's immune to my power?! I'm still faster and stronger than him! And with my Mantra there's no chance that he'll-GRRURRRK!"_

It was due to this jumble of thoughts that he failed to see Luffy's foot plant itself into his stomach. A supposedly unremarkable boy had just struck God.

Just a few days ago this would've been laughable to even think about.

"How… HOW DID YOU SURVIVE?!"

"I'm a Rubber man! Electricity won't harm me at all!"

"Impossible…" What is rubber? Enel has no knowledge of such a substance. A material that is able nullify his electrical might? This Blue Sea Monkey dare stands on the same pedestal as he?!

Luffy roared as he charged forwards, forcing Enel to duck under his fist. A few more punches forced Enel to constantly be on the defensive, gritting his teeth against the onslaught. He soon had enough however, and struck back with his staff, knocking the boy back but doing no damage. As Luffy came at him again, Enel had to teleport to higher ground.

"I think I'm beginning to understand how you work now…" Enel grinned, before teleporting forwards again to catch Luffy with a savage kick "You think you've won against me, but with my Mantra and my speed, you still stand no chance!"

Luffy attempted to attack again, only to be caught out be Enel's staff in a wide swing. The boy growled as he struggled against it, only to cry out in pain as the golden pole began to burn against his skin.

"Seems like your rubber can't protect you from everything," Enel sneered as he continued to heat up his staff, forcing Luffy to jump back and clutch his burnt skin in pain "I finally found a way to put you down!" Luffy stared in shock as the golden staff began to literally reshape itself due to the heat of the electricity, eventually taking the form of a golden trident. He could stand against blunt force, but piercing attacks would punch a hole in him!

And thus the tide of battle was turned; Luffy was now trying his best to avoid Enel's rampant thrusts. Although much preferring to launch lightning strikes from afar, the Mad God is certainly no slouch when it comes to close quarters combat as shown by multiple lacerations appearing on Luffy's body. And now, Enel was done messing around, using his Mantra and speed to the full effect as Luffy struggled to even hit him at all. It seems like the long sought advantage was lost, and this was never more apparent than when Enel finally slammed the trident into Luffy's left shoulder, causing the boy to scream in pain as he was impaled to the wall of the Maxim.

"LUFFY, NO!" Nami screamed.

"You picked a wrong time to face God, monkey!" Enel sneered as he motioned around him "Take it in, Skypiea's last moments." Luffy gritted as he stared around the arkship; black clouds were billowing out from the sides, and as the seconds go by, rumbles could be heard from within.

"That is the creation of Deathpiea! A thunder cloud so monstrous the lightning that rains down will scorch the lands below! Skypiea is doomed, Straw Hat! There is nothing you can do to save it!"

"Grrr… I won't let you!" Luffy threw out both of his arms, in which Enel simply laughed as he teleported away. But this time, the angle the attack was launched managed to reflect off of the golden plates the ship was covered in, sending them in random directions, some which hit the God. Enel finally decided to end this little game.

"I'M DONE WITH YOU!" faster than the eye can track, Enel reappeared and began to heat up the gold around Luffy. The boy could hardly react when a large slab of the melted metal warped around his right fist, gasping when the extra weight tied him to the Maxim's deck.

"By the way… I heard you and your group were looking for gold? Here, I'll give that to you as a present!" and with one last kick, Enel sent the rubber boy hurtling towards the ground.

"Luffy!" Nami cried as she hopped on the Waver she brought along, immediately going after him. Multiple lightning blasts seared towards her, but she managed to redirect some of them thanks to her Clima-tact. However, Enel's voltage was too great as eventually she couldn't bear it and was blasted down towards Skypiea alongside Luffy

Aisa and Pierre quickly flew away from the scene, horrified of the show of power, they weren't fighters, there was nothing they could do to him. Enel scoffed, it seems things were finally going to settle down.

And it was at this point did the massive swarm rouse Enel's attention.

* * *

The lightning man was akin to a massive battery; he was already teeming with energy, enough to make a fair bit of progress for the Queen's revival, but with the large cloud gathering preparing to strike Skypiea to dust, it was an all-out banquet for the Meganulon.

Flying erratically, multiple bugs struck against the God, only to be fried by electricity. Enel scowled; where did these pests come from?!

" _Wait, that mongrel Ryugetsu mentioned something about large bugs… could this be what he was talking about?"_ Enel's logia body made him immune to the attacks of the arthropods, but such a large quantity was in his way!

"It matters not… why? Because I am God! And God has nothing to fear from such insignificant organisms!" the insects were now latching onto his beloved ship, clinging to it like no tomorrow! With an angry bellow, Enel channeled multiple million volts of electricity through the ship, frying the Meganulon by the hundreds, but still more attacked.

Until, all in unison, they began to back off, slowly descending back towards Skypiea…

Enel blinked in confusion; why was the attack slowed to a halt? His arrogance quickly took over as he grinned in triumph. No doubt those insects have witnessed his power and now know better. He inspected the ship, much of it had pieces bitten off out it, but it was mostly intact and more than capable of flying. The same could be said for the Jet Dials taken from his former home. Enel smiled; they managed to escape the anarchy and are still keeping the arkship afloat and capable to deliver him to Fairy Vearth. The Cloud Dial generators of his Deathpiea clouds were more damaged however, and he will have to patch them up, still nothing more than a small hindrance. With that thought, Enel bore the insects no more thought.

Had he been more observant, he would've seen thousands of Meganulon were now glowing an electric blue as they flew towards the White Sea…

 _ **Meanwhile:**_

"Luffy! What the heck happened to you?" Sanji cried out as he and Usopp finally reached the base of Giant Jack. Those who hid here from the onslaught of Meganulon earlier had held them off fine, but now they were also besieged by strikes of lightning as the Maxim flew overhead. Fortunately, the beanstalk was a safe haven from the latter, and as it appears, the Meganulon were slowly but surely beginning to thin out.

"Damn that Enel! Couldn't fight me without resorting to such a trick! Well I'm still gonna kick his ass!" Luffy snapped as he struggled against the large golden trap "If only my hand wasn't stuck!"

"There has to be some way to stop him!" Nami winced; the waver was slightly damaged from her skirmish, but overall she wasn't too hurt. What worried her were the flying insects, these creatures were nothing like the large bugs in Jaya, and something about them was very off.

"Nami-swan I'm so glad you're alright!" Sanji swooned, before needing to be reminded of how serious the moment is.

"Oh great… they're coming back!" Zoro warned as the primary swarm quickly reappeared. Bracing themselves, those around the beanstalk were soon surprised to see that the bugs were flying past them, not even paying them any attention. Even the ones fluttering around them backed off.

"Huh?" Zoro tilted his head "They're leaving?"

"Perhaps they realize we don't taste good?" Usopp sighed in relief.

"We're saved!" Chopper and Gedatsu both cried.

Robin frowned as she looked on. She too was perplexed by this new change of behavior from the insects, just moments before they were attacking all they could catch and now they were retreating?

"Something's not right here…" Robin wondered "The Meganulon were meant to gather energy, and as their only goal that shouldn't have stopped unless…"

Her eyes widened "Unless-!"

"Robin?" Zoro inquired "What's the matter"

Robin said nothing as she ran from the base of the bean stalk back towards the runes, a dark thought in her head. The missing piece of the puzzle is potentially much worse than she thought.

"Robin-chwan! Wait! It's dangerous out there!" Sanji warned, but the archeologist continued on, narrowly avoiding multiple strikes of lightning now forming due to Enel, it wasn't until she reached the depths of the ruins did she find what she was looking for.

And it was not pretty, with each passing second, Robin actually felt uncertainty creep into her heart.

"Oh no… it's just as it says… The Meganulon weren't gathering energy for themselves… it's for a higher power!"

"Nico Robin! What is-" Gan Fall and the others managed to arrive, and they could only see what she can interpret. But even though they themselves are unable to read it, they can still feel the dread coming from her.

"Where's Gian?" she warned.

"Gian? Didn't he go with Ryugetsu to warn the Skypieans about-?" Chopper informed her.

"We need to go get him! He's in danger!"

"WHAT?!"

 _ **Meanwhile:**_

"Everyone! Enter the ships in an orderly manner! Pushing and shoving will not help!" Ryugetsu shouted as many horrified Skypieans began their evacuations. They've arrived to find the swarm already attacking, with the White Berets furiously fighting them off with increasing difficulty. Now, the small group were herding people into ships to depart the area as it became besieged by both the Meganulon and Enel's incoming assault. Lightning has already begun to assault the land around them, incinerating the trees and casting fear like a net.

"We've run out of rescue ships! We'll have to use the dial boats!" Captain McKinley shouted back.

"Use them then! Do everything in your power to get everyone to safety! I'll carry then if I have to!"

Such danger seemed unending, so it is to great surprise when the Meganulon suddenly pulled away and began to gather in a large cloud above them.

"W-what? What is going on?" Conis shoued alongside the defenders. She had already caused the Straw Hats too much trouble, and now she was trying to make up for that.

"The Meganulon… they're gathering. Prepare for a full frontal assault!" Gian stated.

But it never came, instead the creatures began diving headfirst into the cloud sea. It was a rather bizarre spectacle, no one knew what to make of it.

"Ok… or that can happen." Gian deadpanned.

"These creatures get more perplexing by the minute…" Ryugetsu frowned.

As more insects trickled down into the cloud sea, the Skypieans couldn't help but feel unsettled as the attacking insects seemingly dove to their deaths. Only moments ago did they know the existence of such creatures, they were thrust into a new world completely.

"Is it safe to cast off?" Conis asked. Only silence surrounded the area, chilling them to the core.

"Wait just a bit more… if they're diving into the clouds like that, perhaps they know we'll be setting sail and will attack us from there." Gian told her.

"That doesn't sound right…" Ryugetsu frowned "The Meganulon are organized in their attack patterns, but we haven't seen them make complex plan yet. I don't think they're capable of intelligence to such a capacity."

"Then what could they be doing? They couldn't-?" he never finished, for that moment, both Kaiju-Zoan users instantly felt something indescribable. It was like something crawling out from the depths of their darkest fears, and it was close, very close.

* * *

"What was that?!" Gian shouted "Did you feel that?"

"Young man, we know this is stressful, but please don't panic." A White Beret told him.

"You mean you didn't sense that?!"

"Sense what? Gian-san please tell us what's going on?" Conis whimpered.

"No… something is definitely out there, it's big… and it's dangerous!" Ryugetsu was pale "It makes what we've experienced thus far seem like nothing!"

"We're casting off immediately!"

"NO!" Both Kaiju-Zoan users shouted anxiously "DO NOT GO INTO THE CLOUD SEA!"

And there was plenty of reason for that outburst, for that moment the clouds erupted in a shower of white a mere 500 feet away, and a once primeval horror is once again unleashed upon the world…

 **A/N: AND WE'RE PICKING IT UPPPP!**

 **This starts the climactic showdown for the future of Skypiea, and now the final piece of the chess board has entered the fray and we will be getting to the action next chapter! Once the queen comes, chaos will insure as this battle just got a whole lot worse!**

 **And it's all thanks to all of you who've been reading, leaving reviews, favorite and following this story. I never thought I'd get the reception I would with this. Just 2 days ago, this story officially turned 2, which means Gian is technically 2 instead of 23 but who cares about numbers right? These two years have made me see just how much support I've been getting, and I love every second of it. And we're only just beginning, we still have so much to get to and we'd love to have you all with us as we continue our journey. Just two years ago Gian was first conceived as an idea for a Godzilla/One Piece crossover, and now he's having his own adventure as he discovers the secrets of his power alongside his new friends.**

 **I truly appreciate everyone for the support of this story, we will certainly see you again next chapter.**

 **G: SO MUCH LOVE! WE LOVE YOU ALL!**

 **Responses to Reviews:**

 **To BlueRaptor629:**

 **Yup, she's here now, and there's gonna be a lot of destruction!**

 **To Random:**

 **That's the plan of it yes, not just the romance path but also the first time Gian is thrust into the Limelight towards the World Government. It will further impact how he and Gideon will interact from that point on, and eventually make others aware of the Kaiju-Zoan as well.**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **G: You have no proof of such things and I deny it vehemently.**

 **Oh face it, it's gonna happen eventually. So just enjoy the beginning of it.**

 **To TsundereCharuru18:**

 **R: I think myself as far less sweet and more righteous.**

 **G: That's not how it works…**

 **R: Oh? You seem to be fine with it.**

 **G: Hey, I'm technically a taken man at this point, so there's nothing I haven't see yet.**

 **R: and you say I don't know how it works…**

 **To Matt:**

 **Use the hints I've been dropping, it's another Godzilla monster and a much more recent one.**

 **To Keysjake36:**

 **G: You're asking me to hurt people here if they do that.**

 **Well, would you?**

 **G: Most definitely, yes.**

 **Then there we go.**

 **To 7thmaniac:**

 **Yeah, from this point on a lot of chapters will be of similar changes. This time around it's just another element thrust in that Gian has to deal with more, but soon, you'll see that a Kaiju-Zoan Main Antagonist is going to be the center point of a future arc I'm doing, and even further down the line it'll happen more.**

 **To Vergil Leonidas:**

 **G: WELCOME BACKKKKKK! WE'VE WAITED PATIENTLY FOR YOUR RETURN! *dubstep plays**

 **Horrible choice of music aside, it's good to see you again! Take all the time you need, there's a lot to take in!**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **The relationship will continue to build after this, I'll just tell you it'll get more common soon!**

 **To SolanaLeonhart:**

 **Yeah, if you don't know much about Godzilla this story can be a bit hard to follow at times, but it's a lot of fun!**

 **To JayH120:**

 **G: Bug Spray might now help for what's coming up…**

 **Yeah, we're gonna have to nuke the place, or at least use a crap ton of fire.**

 **To A Reader:**

 **There's some Elements I've taken from Arlong Park from the Episode of Nami movie rather than the actual part in the Manga. It's mostly superficial and just to spice up a few things rather than seeing the same process again. In that part, Sanji got knocked into the water after managing to save Luffy by breaking the slab from his feet, I just changed it to being disorientated after Ebirah attacked.**

 **To Karsap:**

 **With how things are going, you can expect that.**

 **With that, we'll see you soon! Leave a review so I can entertain myself later tonight!**


	54. Wrath of Megaguirus

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 _Millions of years ago, the world was much different than today. The air was teeming with high concentration of oxygen, perfect for the growth of life._

 _One such organism was a giant dragonfly known as the Meganeura, a dragonfly the size of a dinner plate. In a time when there were no large aerial predators in the world, these insects ruled the skies, preying on those smaller than it._

 _Unfortunately, all things must come to an end. For the Meganeura it was the rise of larger, more airborne predators that soon shone above it. Eventually, the predator became prey, as the Meganeura's numbers began to dwindle and they risk extinction altogether._

 _In order to survive, her species needed to change, to become more than what they were now. It was the only way to survive._

 _No longer content to simply hunt smaller prey, they took a drastic new measure to ensure their survival. Evolution was a cruel mistress, but these dragonflies needed to adapt and adapt fast, lest they be wiped out altogether._

 _Gone were the days when the Meganeura feasted on live prey, they now took up a more… parasitic method._

 _Their mouths and digestive systems evolved to that which can process the very life energy of the organisms they attack, draining them of a bit of their blood, just enough to live off of, and fueling their own growth. Soon, they became completely dependent on energy altogether, necessity being the mother of this new adaptation. It was a simple process, simply taking some of another organism's flesh or blood, they can live off of their energy until they mate and laid eggs for the next generation. And thus, this trend began, until one particular Meganeura changed it all._

 _She, rather than expend the energy she stole to procreate newer Meganeura, learnt to store it within herself. With every bit of energy she stole, she uses it instead to fuel her own growth. Within time, this one particular Meganeura soon outgrew above all the others, becoming larger, faster, and meaner. And in turn, she developed abilities of her own, abilities that soon came to effect the entire population…_

 _From her advanced genetics, she quickly established control of the other Meganeura, creating a form of hivemind. No longer were the Meganeura an independent creature, they now existed in an entire swarm all working towards the same goal. She took over the role of continuously producing future drones, and in turn, the other members of the swarm grew to a point where they required very little energy to survive; most of it went to fuel this new Queen of the Swarm. That's not saying she doesn't know how to hunt herself however, many a times have corpses be completely drained of their energy when the Queen herself rises to the occasion._

 _Soon, these insects were once again on the rise, attacking ever so often. Through this rapid evolution, they formed newer traits that allowed them to further continue their hunt. They were quickly able to reproduce asexually for increased numbers, as lives were always lost during attacks on prey. Their former bodies were now shed for sturdier carapaces and internal functions, which in turn allowed for greater sizes and increased ferocity._

 _Now, they didn't just take energy, they steal the very essence of any organism they can get their mandibles around, draining them of life whereas before they only took a little bit. They now bore a new name: Meganulon, and the alpha female herself is known to all who come across it as the Killer Queen, Megaguirus._

 _The Meganulon were at their peak during the time of a race known only by a select few today. Overshadowing all, the Kaiju were the dominant species of the world for countless millennia. It is here that the energy stolen were so great that the Meganulon themselves adopted the ferociousness and power of what they took, and of course the Queen herself grew to match even the Kaiju in size. Countless clashes between her and the other monstrosities have been said to turn entire mountain ranges to rubble, but despite some of the Kaiju's considerable power, Megaguirus' speed and viciousness was more than enough for her to hold her own. And with the swarm backing her up, little can stand against her._

* * *

 _Until one day, a pair of cursed winged beasts challenged her in her own domain! Perhaps it was history repeating itself, but these winged terrors showed no fear when they challenged her rule. Equal to her in size and just as maneuverable in the air, for the first time Megaguirus met an opponent that was on the same playing field as she was. Even her bladed wings and razor stinger was not enough to assert her dominance in the sky. The pair of flying demons tore her swarm asunder and once again, they were vulnerable. It was due to this that she came about a sudden realization:_

 _Her swarm was not invincible, it was a fact she hated with the utmost darkest part of her heart._

 _The winged devils drove her swarm into hiding, they had no choice; in a world where there are creatures just as strong as she, a fractured swarm meant death for Megaguirus. They needed to hide, to wait and grow their numbers, and she needed to rest._

 _To plan for their inevitable return, the Queen spawned numerous new drones, spending her vitality in the process. Because of this, she had to be dormant once again, entering a cocoon to return to a near comatose state. This she hid in the depths of any deep water basin nearby. She only had to assume this form twice before, and because she is motionless during this time she is vulnerable. Hidden underneath the water she can be safe, and here she waited as the rest of her minions gathered the required amount of energy for her rebirth._

 _Periods of dormancy such as this is usually prolonged due to the vast amount of energy needed, but if there was anything that she learned across the millennia she's spent upon this world, it's that patience will allow you to succeed in the end._

 _Even as the crust beneath her shook and cracked and sent skywards, she waited. Even as she became surrounded by the clouds she waited._

 _Waiting on that day, where she can rise again._

 _Unknown to her, the land she took to in her comatose state was a land known as Jaya, home to an ancient civilization. To her, it matters little but the people have battled her drones' time upon time and spoke of legends of her battle with the winged demons. These were passed down as legends, mythology as a part of their culture, when they themselves don't know how close to the truth they've hit. But none of this matters to her, all she cares about is how to return to the world to spread her brood again._

 _As Jaya was launched from the sea into the sky, the land became different. Energy became harder to seek out, those living creatures that survived the journey up did not have nearly enough to fuel her rebirth. The Kaiju no longer roamed the land, at least not up here. For thousands of years she remained in that dormant state, wondering whether she will ever return to the world again._

 _But now that day has come, life energy from a bygone era has been returned to circulation, and their power was enough to bring her back from the abyss, ready to unleash her power upon this world as the dominant predator again!_

* * *

 **Skypiea Arc opening: Skyreach (Akame Ga Kill! Op. 1) plays**

It was a horrifying sight.

Never in their lives did the Skypieans expect such a nightmare to be existing mere distances away. But here it was right in front of them, something straight from the worst horror stories.

It was an insectoid beast, at least only just recognizable in appearance. A dark purple exoskeleton makes up its streamlined, jagged body. Dark red eyes scanned the view down below, taking in the horrified masses with relish. Large masses of organisms down below, teeming with life energy. It seemed that her swarm hasn't gathered all of it yet, but that's fine. She could always get it later.

Tilting her head, the massive insect observed around her, trying to detect more of the precious fuel source her growth needed. All the while, the people down below were pale with terror.

"What monstrosity is this…?" Ryugetsu whispered, taking in the beast in her full form. The overall shape of this creature was that of a dragonfly, but one warped and distorted to a monstrous form. Rather than the mandibles the Meganulon processed, Megaguirus had a full function set of jaws filled with jagged teeth. The other thing to note is her tail, long, tapered and tipped at the edged with a wickedly curved stinger. Ryugetsu did not want to find out what that does.

A low drone began to sound; the remaining members of the Meganulon swarm were to gather around the gigantic flying insect. An unheard message passed between them, a link only they share. Only a fraction of the swarm remained, as is expected. In the process of her rebirth, the Meganula that transferred their energy gave their own lives for their queen. But it's no issue, she can always birth more after.

No, the more pressing matter is the gather the remaining sources of energy seen around her. Her eyes scanned the crowd down below. Most of the two legged maggots were huddling in fear. Her eyes lingered on two of them though, these two looked upon her in similar terror, but there was something behind those eyes, something defiant… something ancient…

Shaking of the thought, she sensed another pulse of energy coming from high above. Tilting her head up, she spotted the growing black storm clouds far above; the energy building up in astonishing amounts.

Something of high flux is there, a curve formed at her jaws. The energy will be hers!

Her wings began to vibrate, and soon they flapped with near invisible speeds. One more signal to her remaining swarm; gather the remaining amount of energy from here, and she dashed off over the speed of sound, heading straight for the storm cloud.

With that, the Meganula resumed their assault, causing the crowd down below to panic again.

"EVERYONE INTO THE SHIPS!" the White Berets shouted while trying their best to fight them off. Compared to the sheer numbers before, this is much more manageable, but even so the large insects still outnumbered them 6 to 1.

"What the hell was that…?" Gian panted "It just came out from beneath the clouds!"

"That… I think is their leader." Ryugetsu hissed "Notice how earlier, when it appeared, every other Meganulon paused and stood at attention? They were waiting for orders. Many insects do have a hive mind structure, forming a sort of colony with one Queen at the top. This is probably similar to that. "

"So Queen Bitch is heading back to the Upper Yard… if her biology is the same as her underlings, then she must be after energy too." Gian concluded "But small fry like us are hardly worth her time, she's after bigger game. And the only thing with a big enough charge up there is-"

"Enel, she must have sensed his growing power as well." Ryugetsu nodded "This is bad… if that abomination clashes with Enel, then who knows how much damage will befall the Upper Yard?"

"We'll need to stop them both… But we can't just leave the people here…!" looking out into the clouds, the duo saw that the ships were being dive-bombed by the insects; their mandibles and claws unable to penetrate the hull, but they were persistent. The troop of White Berets were still trying to fight them off, as were some of the civilians.

* * *

One of them, the captain, glanced at the two.

"We all saw that giant bug come out from the White Sea… it's going to come back eventually for sure. We can hold of these small guys, but when that thing returns we're done for!" the captain grunted.

"You two… I don't know why I think this is so, but perhaps the two of you are the only ones who have even a slight chance against that monster! Go, follow it, and make sure it doesn't return!"

"But what about you guys?" Gian asked.

The captain growled as an insect tried to attack, only to be met by a Dial sword "It's going to be bloody, but we'll hold. You guys just focus on what you have to do!"

The two looked at each other, uncertain of their next step. It would be risky to leave the people down here at the mercy of the Meganulon. As of the moment however, they realized there was no better choice.

"…Very well. Leave the big bug to us." Ryugetsu nodded sadly.

"Go on! Give her hell!" the captain grinned.

Ryugetsu once again took flight, Gian in his arms as he began the ascent towards the Upper Yard.

"Ok… time to cook a bug…" Gian muttered as they headed back towards uncertainty.

 _Meanwhile:_

"I can't believe it… to think, such monsters existed under our very feet…" Gan Fall stammered as the archeologist revealed her full findings. The room was filled with shock at what was revealed to them.

"Yes… the Meganulon have been around for thousands, perhaps millions of years. They've become a being that exists only to assimilate the energy of other beings. And now, I fear their queen has returned as well. Beings that existed even before civilization rose in Jaya, and have remained since."

"And now they have returned…" Zoro noted "If it weren't for the fact that we just had to fight our way through waves of them I'd hardly believe any of this!"

"But how can such a sheer number of creatures stay hidden all this time and avoided all detection?" Gan Fall asked "Skypiea is not uninhabited, and with Enel's ability he should've easily been able to find them underneath the ground he stands!"

Robin continued reading what was presented "That can be due to their biology. From what is presented, a large rise of Meganulon such as this one is not the first in history, and if nothing is done here it will most certainly not be the last." She sighed "Previous generations must've had to hide themselves from other dangers before, and the Queen herself especially needs to remain out of sight. After birthing sheer amounts of her underlings, the queen becomes dormant and requires a place to rest. That was previously handled by large bodies of water, where the queen would enter a cocoon of sorts and shut down most of her vitals, hidden from plain sight…"

"But up in the sky, there isn't anything as large as what is inscribed that could hold her…?" Nami pondered "How can something that big not be seen? It doesn't even have a place to conceal itself!"

The group was perplexed by the thought, until Zoro's eyes suddenly widened.

"No… there is…" he then locked eyes with Robin, who instantly knew what the swordsman was about to say "Back when we first arrived in the sky, do you guys remember something that happened while we landed in the Sea of Clouds?"

* * *

"We found some sky fish... oh and this weird looking thing that floated a-EEEHHHHHH?!" Usopp realized "D-don't tell me that- Back then we-"

"I'm afraid so, Mr. Sniper…" Robin said "Without water, the queen had to improvise. The clouds, with their depth, became the perfect hiding spot. She just needed to devote a little effort as to not fall through the clouds."

"And as for the rest of the swarm… All they needed to do was burrow deep enough that Enel and anyone else can't track them!" Sanji realized "That's how not one person had been able to find any evidence of their existence!"

"Precisely, and it is with this that the Meganulon, to the Shandia, became no more than legends. But for the first time, it seems that legends have become reality…" the group looked up towards the large carving where Robin got her information from. It is aged and has begun to fade, but the image engraved within could not be clearer:

A large crack in the earth, as dozens upon dozens of Meganulon poured out like water from a broken pipe. And in the sky, towering above them with razor wings spread, was Megaguirus, Queen of the Meganulon.

"Now that the Meganulon have returned, there's no doubt that the Queen will follow shortly. We need to prepare ourselves, this is a foe that none of us have ever imagined facing."

"By the clouds…. That's where Skypiea resides!" Gan Fall recoiled in horror "What will become of the people?"

"Gian and Ryugetsu are down there too!" Chopper warned.

Robin closed her eyes "Gian… will have to somehow find his way back to us. With the Queen's return being imminent, we won't get there in time."

"We can't just leave him there!" Zoro shouted.

"I'm not suggesting that. But even if we go down there, there is nothing we can do." Robin stated again, an uncharacteristic edge to her voice "This is a being that's existed even before written history itself, it's primordial, and had millennia to adapt to the world. Even if Gian's power is used, it only prolongs her-"

And that was when the entire chamber was rocked by a shrill screech. Everyone scurried out to see a massive flying object scream past them from up in the sky. Its speed was so great that it was almost a blur, almost invisible.

"Correction, not prolong her return…" Robin gulped "She has already returned…"

 _ **Meanwhile:**_

Only now did Enel realize just how many obstacles were in his way. As the beating of massive wings were sounded near him, the Mad God glared at the newest disruption to his plans.

"What a hideous creature… What do you think you're doing standing in my way?"

Screeching towards him, Megaguirus hardly paid attention to the man; she's solely focused on the massive waves of energy emitted from the area. The air was full of it, an electrical aura that she sees vividly. She hungers for it so, and now that she's found the source she'll suck it up to her heart's content.

Enel growled at the sight of another blasphemous being defying his power. He will quickly show this pest its place. Gathering lightning in his hands, another powerful bolt of lightning cracked through the sky, intent on frying this flying demon. However, the massive insect darted out of the way near instantly, and to Enel's shock ignored him completely. Instead Megaguirus latched onto the flying arkship, chittering around as she tried to find a way to absorb the precious energy source, her stinger twitching in anticipation.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Enel howled as he unleashed another bolt of lightning, this one striking the jagged wing of the beast, causing her to shriek and wheel around, finally noticing the lightning man.

Megaguirus' eyes lit up; the source of the power is here. Detaching herself from the Maxim, she spiraled around before darting forward in a challenge.

" _Fast… even faster than Ryugetsu…"_ Enel seethed; the creature's speed was so great that his Mantra only just managed to track it. He can't let it collide with the ship: it would pulverize it in an instant! Unleashing a massive discharge, Enel showed her his power. The Meganulon Queen shrieked as multiple lightning bolts fired her carapace, but this only made her angrier. Darting forwards yet again, she continued to look for an opening, only to find Enel giving her none.

Lightning painted the skies as Enel tried to shoot the monster down. To think that him, a God, is having trouble with a measly insect! A very large and monstrous insect, but an insect nonetheless! It was unthinkable! His emotions getting the better of him, he almost didn't notice Megaguirus sneaking up on him. If not for his ability to transform into lightning, Enel would've been impaled by the monstrous dragonfly's stinger. Even as his intangibility kicked in, the massive barb still stuck deep into his chest. It makes him realize what could've happened if he was a fraction too late.

" _That's fine… it can't damage me!"_ Enel thought with triumph. However, it was then that he noticed more as he felt electricity began moving into the spike and travelling up the creature's tail! Realization dawned as he understood why the creature attacked him; it wasn't after him, it was after the electric energy the Maxim, and by default him, produced!

And what a source it was! If Megaguirus could make facial expressions, her face would be alit with ecstasy and delight. Who would've thought that a person like him could contain such power! The monstrous dragonfly drained the electricity gluttonously; Enel had near infinite power, and with the energy from the Arkship as well, then Megaguirus is in for a feast.

However, this fact did not sit well with the God of Skypiea.

"How dare you…" and a massive clap of thunder dislodged the massive dragonfly, causing her to screech as she felt lightning course through her exoskeleton.

"YOU INSIGNIFICANT PEST! YOU DARE USE GOD AS A POWER SOURCE?!" Enel bellowed, more electricity crackling around him. Megaguirus shrieked, eager to begin her feast again.

Until another pulse of energy diverted her attention. This one a much more ancient aura, and one she knows all too well…

Letting loose an earsplitting screech of rage, the massive dragonfly swerved away and sliced through the sky once more, intent on dealing with this new aura; the energy of this electric being was mighty, but missing a chance to skewer her hated enemy and drain him dry? Never.

Enel only looked on, perplexed at what has happened. In his mind he has no idea why the abomination departed, or where it came from. Too caught up in his own plans, he had little time to wonder about this. Enel soon shook off the thought; this means little in the grand scheme of things. He still has to leave for his beloved land and destroy this place it was time to-

"WROOOOOAAARGH! ENELLLLLL!"

He cursed, his troubles were not over yet.

 _ **Meanwhile:**_

"Slow down! We don't even know where it went!" Gian snapped as Ryugetsu literally dragged him through the air in an attempt to return to the Upper Yard.

"We can't afford to slow! Every second we waste is a second closer to Skypiea's destruction!" the winged man shouted back. He was getting out of breath, and his muscles ached, but still he continued on.

"But we still need to find it first! Just looking for it is a wild goose chase! We need to-"

He didn't need to finish, because the monster came from them instead.

They didn't even see it coming. One moment they were flying over trees, and the next they were tumbling hard into the ground. All the air knocked out of them and their ears ringing as only a high pitch drone filled the air.

* * *

"ACK! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Gian screamed, his eardrums were close to bursting. Nauseas filled his head as he tried to stand.

"How… how is it so fast…?" Ryugetsu stumbled to his feet; his Mantra only detected the creature in the last second. Fortunately for him, that split second was enough to prevent him from being sliced in half by the creature's wings, though they did not escape unscathed.

"Well… we don't need to search for it anymore at least…" Gian quipped.

"…Not the time for jokes…"

They didn't have much more time to do anything, simply due to the giant insect flying into a frenzy and slamming two of its legs down in an attempt to strike the two Kaiju-Zoan users. Megaguirus hissed, the auras were at their strongest here, but where is her hated foe? All he sees are two small two-legged beings trying to avoid her attacks. Is it possible that-?

Her thoughts were disrupted as one of them, the winged one, leapt up and lashed out with a strange contraption. The blade of Ryugetsu's kusarigama only made a light laceration, not nearly enough to do any substantial damage. What the winged acolyte makes up for is sheer ferocity however, as his attack is absolutely merciless. Try as he might however, this was nothing more than a minor annoyance.

Even as Gian joins in and firing off a stream of atomic fire, the small burn did little to the massive insect, who only fluttered into the air before her wings vibrated at an ultrasonic frequency. The two Kaiju-Zoan users screamed in pain as the supersonic volley bombarded their senses.

"Ryugetsu… we're no match for it in this state… we need to-"

"I know…. We'll Trans-"

Unfortunately Megaguirus struck again. There would be no chance to transform in the speed of her attack.

"She's hounding us too much!" Gian shouted as he flipped out of the way of the Meganulon Queen's stinger as it dug a trench into the soil.

"Damn… then is there no-?" Ryugetsu got the wind knocked out of him as he tried to go in for another attack, only for the massive dragonfly to fly upwards. He cried out in pain as he landed heavily onto the ground.

"We…can't give up…now…!"

And just when things couldn't get much worse, a child-like scream suddenly sounded in the air. The two looked up in horror as they saw two small figures fall, one a pink bird and the other-

* * *

"How… What is she doing in such a dangerous place?!" Gian shouted anxiously. Aisa, losing her way after Enel's attack on Luffy, managed to get caught in the draft caused by Megaguirus' massive wings.

"We won't reach her!" Gian was horrified, but then Ryugetsu forced himself to his feet and flapped up, even as Gian shouted a warning.

"No one… I won't let anyone die on my watch anymore…" he growled as he pushed himself further, inching closer to the falling girl " _Especially… not her…"_

Hands reached around Aisa and Pierre as they fell, carrying them forwards. The terrified girl cracked open her eyes to see Ryugetsu's determined yet strained face pushing against the wind. He made it just in time.

"T-the God Bird…"

"Are you out of your mind?! Do you know how dangerous this is?!" Ryugetsu snapped "Not only is Enel on the warpath, but this… but this…"

He held her closer, protecting her from any wind "Please don't be so reckless…"

Aisa didn't know what to respond, until her eyes widened and she pointed behind her "LOOK OUT!"

Ryugetsu's Mantra almost didn't pick it up, but there she was. Megaguirus had circled back and now pinpointed the aura of the flying demon that plagued her millennia ago…

Somehow, that flying human is the source of it, Megaguirus doesn't know how or why but to her it mattered little. All she wanted to do is get rid of it.

And at this speed, there was no way for Ryugetsu to avoid the flying abomination. He could only stare defiantly as he held Aisa closer, the girl's eyes now completely shut.

" _At least… she has to live…"_ was Ryugetsu's only thought.

Even as a lance of pure blue fire sliced a path between them, causing Megaguirus to swerve to a halt to avoid being incinerated.

* * *

" **God Damn it Ryugetsu…"** Gian's Full Transformation stood in all of his full glory " **You have to make things so difficult for everybody!"**

And the winged acolyte couldn't help but grin. He brought all of the Meganulon Queen's attention to him, and that distraction was all they need for Gian to Fully Transform in peace.

" **Hurry up and help me… or I'm taking her all by myself!"**

"Be there soon…" he nodded as he flew down towards the forest floor. Giving one look back as Gian roared and charged towards the mutant dragonfly, he continued downwards. Aisa needed to be taken care of first.

* * *

It wasn't difficult. His mantra soon detected a large group of people. As Robin emerged from the brush she had a slight surprise to her looks as she witnessed the flying warrior descend with the little Shandian girl in his arms.

"Ryugetsu…"

"Keep her out of this. It's going to get destructive if anything we've done before is to judge…"

"Is Gian-?" Usopp asked until a loud CRASH shook the forest, causing the sniper to let loose a yelp.

"I'm heading to help him now."

Zoro drew Wado as he looked forwards towards the scene of destruction.

"We're coming as well."

"If you must, but don't get too involved. This is out of your hands." Energy began to gather as he rose further upwards, a glow of energy slowly getting brighter "And try to keep up, I'm not waiting for anybody."

As he sped forwards, he heard one last thing. Aisa's voice may be faint, but he heard it, clear as day.

"Ryugetsu-nii… please be careful…"

And despite the situation, Ryugetsu can't help but smile.

"Hehe… **I can't promise that…"**

* * *

Gian roared in pain as he was pushed down; Megaguirus' blinding speed is something far too much for him. If he had a tough time with Ryugetsu earlier, then this is Ryugetsu on steroids. He never thought anything could be this fast, but here it was.

And Megaguirus was elated. This was another aura signature she was familiar with. The supposed King of Monsters was a being that she rarely encountered, but whispers of her swarm bore the news of the gargantuan beast from time to time. The few times they did clash had always been a near standstill, either her retreating her fractured swarm or the King diving back to the depths to escape her wrath. She always wanted to personally drain the creature one day, and now she finally gets the chance!

Dorsal fins glowing, Gian's **Atom Ray** tore through the air, but the insect was already gone. Merely a blur before him, Megaguirus is always 5 steps ahead, cutting through the air as the thermonuclear ray lagged behind her. This continued before she slammed into him again, blindsiding him before he can even react.

As Gian is knocked down, the queen screeched in victory and reared back her stinger. She is ready to penetrate through even his tough hide and suck him dry of his energy.

Until a heavy slam caused her to be lifted off of her prey. And rage filled her once again, there is only one beast that dares to assault her in mid-air.

Writhing around rampantly, Megaguirus' stuggled to dislodge herself from her foe's talons. Ryugetsu was lacerated by her razor wings as she flailed around, but his own Full Transformation was meant for grappling opponents in such a fashion. With a heave and a swing of his legs, he tossed the massive dragonfly into the distance before going back to check on his ally.

" **You said something about getting her all to yourself?"**

" **Smart ass…"** Gian grumbled " **I really underestimated this. She's fast, maybe even faster than you."**

" **It would seem so, speed is definitely her weapon here. Even with Mantra I can only just track her barely, and I'm unable to avoid most of her attacks…"**

The two braced themselves as Megaguirus shrieked before diving at them, breaking the sound barrier in the process. They had to dive out of the way to avoid being cut up by her wings.

" **We need a plan… We're sitting ducks for her to pick off if we try to go at her uncoordinated."**

" **She's an aerial fighter, the sky is where she dominates."** Ryugetsu stated " **She may be fast, but I've yet to see anyone, or anything for that matter match my speed. I'm going to engage her in midair, and when I give you the signal, attack her with your strongest attack."**

" **Might as well give it a shot. And with good timing too, she's circling back right now!"**

And Ryugetsu ascended into the air, soaring towards the Meganulon queen who promptly let out an ear-splitting screech as they smashed into each other in a whirlwind of talons and blades. So fast were the two airborne monsters that the impacts caused in midair could be felt down below, with the trees bowing with each strike. They were almost a blur, and Gian can hardly make out which is which as the two tangled together.

Unsure of when to strike, it wasn't until Ryugetsu let out a shout of " **NOW!"** that Gian fired an **Atom Ray** immediately. And it would appear Ryugetsu knew what he was doing, as he got the demonic dragonfly into a position where the beam was sure to hit.

That is, until Megaguirus suddenly flew up to avoid the heat ray!

" **W** - **what?!"** Gian gasped.

" **I-impossible… is it really possible to reach such speeds?!"**

Rasping noises could be heard; the Queen is laughing at them! In her sadistic mind this situation played out perfectly. Megaguirus may not be able to show emotion, but she were able to the two Kaiju-Zoan users would see that she'd have the largest grin on her face at their flabbergasted expressions.

Such simple fools! Megaguirus is an ancient being, one with millennia of experience. She's had multiple battles against a variety of foes, and the simple fact is that they're dead and she's still surviving. These two, she is sure that they are the same two two-legged prey from before, possess the essence of some of the former beasts she's encountered, but their minds are still new, they cannot even begin to compare.

Flexing her wings once more, she dove at near supersonic speeds straight towards Ryugetsu, clasping the Pteranodon-morph's neck around one of her pincers and forcing him backwards. As the Kaiju-Zoan user struggled, Megaguirus unveiled a new secret, one that is key to her surviving for so long.

Imagine Ryugetsu's surprise when suddenly thousands of volts coursed through his body! Letting loose a squawk of pain, Ryugetsu could barely struggle as electricity coursed through the Meganulon Queen's claws and into his body, wrenching himself free after an immense struggle, his smoldering body fell to the forest below with a heavy thud. Struggling to lift his head, he could only wonder how such a thing is possible.

" **Ryugetsu!"** Gian snarled as he charged towards the dragonfly with fists ignited, but Megaguirus had a shock for him too. The next thing he knew, Gian was already spiraling through the air. Pain flared in his chest as Megaguirus flew around almost uncontrollably, except with one noticeable difference: her entire body is glowing an electric blue with lightning bolts arcing from her!

He didn't even have time to react when she slammed into her again, this time forcing him to land directly on top of Ryugetsu in a violent explosion.

" **Ok… where did that come from?!"** Gian groaned in pain.

Ryugetsu had a horrified expression " **Just… what is this creature…? Just what else is it capable of?"**

And then the beast flew off once more, back towards the direction of Skypiea!

" **We have to stop her!"** Ryugetsu panted, and after some effort finally managed to achieve liftoff again, only to fall in short order.

It was only when a dull BOOM sounded in the distance, did the two come to a horrifying realization…

 _ **Meanwhile:**_

Aboard the rescue ships, the citizens of Skypiea watched with rapt anxiety as the Meganulon swarm once again departed and gathered in a cloud. This was replaced by fear as a blue glow began to descend in the distance: Megaguirus has returned.

"T-those two… they failed…?" Captain McKinley stammered in terror.

But what came after was something that they'll never be able to erase out of their minds.

Megaguirus grinned internally; the power she drained from the lightning user truly is immense. Shame she had to burn most of the reserves in the fight earlier though, but she had enough, enough for one last show of power…

Lightning began to arc off her in waves, slamming into the clouds. The target of her attack was none other than Angel Island, the home of the Skypieans. Below her, she could still sense some signatures: some people have yet to evacuate…

They will all bear witness to her return.

"Impossible…" Conis, from aboard a departed ship, whispered in horror "D-don't tell me-"

"THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND!"

"THEY WON'T MAKE IT!"

"No…" Conis whispered "N-"

And that was when a bolt of pure lightning formed from underneath the demonic insect, tearing a hole straight through the foundation. The resulting explosion was blinding, and every Skypiean that managed to get off safely screamed as their boats were rocked, threatening to capsize.

What greeted them after the dust cleared was a traumatizing sight. Angel Island, once the home of the Skypieans, has disappeared from the sky…

And in the mortal fear that followed after, only one thought still remained:

Just how are they to survive from this?

 _ **Meanwhile:**_

"A-Angel Island… it can't be…" even from a distance, the group on the ground could hardly believe what they witnessed. Gan Fall fell to his knees, horror clear in his features.

"Something is able to do something like that…" Even Zoro and Sanji are unnerved at the sight of an entire island being destroyed.

"WWRAAAAAGHH! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!" Usopp and Chopper wept.

Robin gave a shaky gasp. Unbeknownst to everyone on site, the loss of an entire island was something she was much too familiar with. The images of another certain island flash through her mind once again.

"This… this is the power of the ancient…"

A few distances away, Gedatsu was shaking in his boots. The Priest of Enel never felt fear of such levels; even Enel never held that much fear from him!

So distracted by the thought, they were jolted and forced to duck as Megaguirus arrived over them, returning to the Upper Yard at high speed.

And for the first time, everyone's fate was uncertain.

 _ **Meanwhile:**_

In the distance, a lone group watched everything unfold. But to them, this battle has taken a toll far greater.

Wiper watched with a blank expression as lightning struck randomly across the land, scorching everything they touch. Inside however, emotions rolled over and over. Hate, fear, sadness. He doesn't even know what to feel anymore.

And when the aftershock of the explosion prior reached the Shandians, they only realized just how much they've lost…

"Wiper…" Laki reached out but he didn't respond. There was no need.

Not only is Enel destroying the Upper Yard, but the Queen Insect that completely dominated the two Kaiju-Zoan users and…

"Why…" He muttered "Why is this happening?"

"Wiper we need to leave!"

"What did our ancestors do to have their homeland be desecrated in such a fashion?" he whispered hoarsely "Enel… the Meganulon… just what right do they have to cast such tragedy upon this land?!"

But even with all his anger, he could do nothing but watch, helpless.

 _ **Meanwhile:**_

" **Don't… don't tell me she just…"** Gian can hardly believe it. He can't sense the voices being silenced, but the explosion and the dead expression Ryugetsu gave off was enough to give a bad feeling for him.

" **Gone… Angel Island… Gone…"** But Ryugetsu sensed it, multiple voices clamoring in fear, until suddenly silenced in one fell swoop. His mantra picked up all of it, and the toll was just far too great.

A shrill buzz sounded in the distance, Megaguirus has returned. It was unfortunate that she'd expended all the energy she stole from Enel in that last act, but that matters little.

After all, the essence of two Kaiju are far greater, and this time she'll savor the kill.

And as she closed in, Gian and Ryugetsu can only watch in anger and fear.

Watch, as the Age of Insects was about to return…

 _ **A/N:**_

 **And I'm BAAAAAACCCKKK!**

 **Well, it's certainly been a while since the last time I've seen you all. I honestly have no excuse for this. I originally wanted to update before the New Year, but continuous writers block and working Full Time in addition to personal things continuously bogged me down. This is mainly due to me getting a lot more hobbies outside of writing, and me getting involved in things like Pokemon and Improv has let me off little time for continuing the story in the last 2 months. I've been practically absent from Fanfiction completely until a few days ago.**

 **But I'm back again, and while I can't promise I'll update as frequently as before. I'm planning to return to school again soon, and personally that always helps my creative spirit. Improv as well has done wonders for my creativity, and hopefully this should polish the rest of the arc better. I'm hoping Skypiea will only last about 2 more chapters, then we can finally move on to the Original Arc I've been planning!**

 **G: …oooooohhhhh….**

 **WOAH! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?**

 **G: H-help us… he hasn't fed us in two months…**

 **Oh knock it off, you're free to do things when you're not in the story so you not eating is your own fault!**

 **Responses to Reviews:**

 **To Chance Green G King:**

 **I hope you like! With this chapter I've kind off taken elements that already existed and expanded upon them. It may be a bit too farfetched at times but I'm hoping to really pound in the sense of desperation here.**

 **To SolanaLeonhart:**

 **I'm glad you like surprises! Be it Godzilla elements or other things!**

 **To Matt:**

 **Well you're not far off!**

 **To The Storm Master 567:**

 **I have been doing cliff hangers a lot, haven't I. I'm honestly trying to find a way to make it less so I can end the chapters more naturally, but I always tend to stop when something bigger is about to happen.**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **I'm hoping to get to the final showdowns next chapter, this one is just for a showcase of Megaguirus' power.**

 **To JayH120:**

 **Round 1 is painful**

 **G: it truly is!**

 **R: I can't feel my legs**

 **To Karsap:**

 **That's a bit of a hard one, personally it's GMK mostly due to the message behind it, but Godzilla V.S Destoroyah, the original 1954, Godzilla Final Wars simply for everything being pushed into it (and Ironically it's the first Godzilla movie I've seen), and the Kiryu saga comes to a close second.**

 **To Streetlife34:**

 **I mean, the concept literally is going to branching off from the main canon at an increased rate, otherwise it's just going to be a complete rehash of what happens, only with Gian Fully Transforming once in a while and not adding much. The amount of Kaiju-Zoans is a way to give Gian his own place and find his own direction, while still maintaining a general feel to One Piece. So it's either I add more lore in, or it's not going to work out.**

 **To Vergil Leonidas:**

 **Glad you managed to catch up! The last few chapters are quite a ride and it'll take some time to settle for sure. Glad you liked some of the stuff here, and thank you! Oh, and you really should give the Godzilla series a look at, Monster movies aren't exactly everyone's cup of tea and that's understandable, but the message behind some of the movies are enough to warrant a watch.**

 **To Thakidisbac:**

 **Thank you, I'm glad you like the concept so much. There's still more coming!**

 **G: AND I LOVE MY FANS!**

 **I will see you all next time, hopefully not as long!**

 **Leave a review and Gian will eat at last!**

 **G: You are evil.**


	55. Clear the Sky

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Skypiea Arc opening: Skyreach (Akame Ga Kill! Op. 1)**

" _ **Gone… they're gone…"**_

Ryugetsu's world was crumbling around him, the only purpose he has left is now becoming lost.

The buzzing of wings could be heard in the distance; Megaguirus is returning, no doubt coming back to seek more energy. She was only beginning to feast, and with such bountiful amounts she's determined to take it all.

Desperation and hopelessness swirled within Ryugetsu, coming to a head when he spotted the insect queen in the distance.

Then it amassed into sheer rage and unbridled anger.

" **Ryugetsu…?"** Gian let out a hollow whisper " **Wait just a-"**

" **KIRRRRAAROUUU"**

Even as his entire body screamed for him to stop, threatening to crack, Ryugetsu pushed himself onwards. Wounds, fresh and old, littered his body and burned with each flap of his wings, but he won't stop. Can't stop, not until the demon is ripped from the skies.

" _ **Protect… them… I have to protect them… I WON'T LET MORE PEOPLE DIE!"**_

The buzzing of her wings filled his head, he could feel small amounts of blood trickling down his ears. Dizziness instantly filled his head the minute he staggered back to his feet. But Ryugetsu's eyes continued to burn, a dim fire still lit. Only one thing remained in his sight.

" **ABOMINATION!"**

But he was still wounded, and his talons raked thin air as Megaguirus flitted out of his attack reach, before searing pain raked across his back; the bladed wings instantly lashed out and shredded her target. The pteranodon-kaiju's wounds made him just too slow to keep up, and Megaguirus knew this. Cackling with glee, she bore witness to her prey's pain as he struggled to get up, only he would never get the chance to.

Ryugetsu's screech of pain could be heard easily as the Queen's razor stinger penetrated his back. His wings were pinned down by her pincers as he felt the barb suck out his vitality. A glance back showed to him a faint orange glow moving up the creature's ovipositor. Struggle as he might, he could feel himself getting weaker as the seconds go by. If he couldn't dislodge her, then he'll-

Ryugetsu let out a hoarse croak as more energy was stolen from him. His skin was tightening around his bones, and it seemed that the end was near.

* * *

" _ **N-no… I can't… fall here… I have to…"**_

But whatever struggle he put up was futile as the Meganulon Queen ingested more of his energy. Her grin got wider as she saw that Ryugetsu's struggles growing more sluggish the more she sucked up. This was a moment she wanted to savor for a long time coming. Millennia ago, creatures of similar form tormented her and drove her from the skies. With the death of this one, she could at least have that small bit of revenge.

" _ **I…I can't…"**_

He could hardly move now; there was almost no energy left. Even straining his head is difficult.

" _ **I've… I've failed…"**_

 **Flashback:**

" _Come forth, Warrior Ryugetsu."_

 _Ryugetsu stepped into a court surrounded by multitudes of other winged warriors. The Guardians of Birka are the defenders of the Sky Island they reside on, and joining their ranks means that he first has to get onto equal footing first._

 _An elderly robed man stepped towards him, looking him up and down with approval. For them, Ryugetsu was a rising star, joining the Guardian ranks at the mere age of 18, he was one of their younger members. At this time, his wings were still the same feathery shape as like the rest of his people._

" _Warrior Ryugetsu, you've shown your abilities and strength to us time and time again. However, what you're about to receive will truly test all you've been through, it will push your limits further each day."_

" _I am aware." Ryugetsu stated._

" _To be a Guardian of Birka means sacrifice, to give and expect no reward. It may isolation, away from your comrades and kin. It will test your mind and body, pushing you forward until there's nowhere else to go but forward." The elder looked him square in the eye "Will you continue, even knowing this?"_

" _I will." And there was no hesitation in his voice._

" _Then come forth and let the Divine Fruit's power course through your veins. May it grant you power to help you in the hardships that you may encounter."_

 _From his robes the elder produced a brown, leathery fruit and gestured towards the young warrior. Ryugetsu closed his eyes and took one bite from the large fruit, ignoring the bitter taste that came with it. Moments later he suddenly let out a gasp and dropped to the floor. His wings felt as if they were burning, and the crowd gathered began to whisper to themselves nervously as the transformation took place._

 _The pain slowly subsided however, and to the shocking gasp of the crowd, Ryugetsu rose again panting ever so slightly. His once feathery wings, like the rest of Birka, were now replaced by twin bat-like appendage, they stretched out and sent forth a gale of wind with a single flap._

" _Elder, is this the power I've received."_

" _Perhaps…" The elder was mystified as well, and for good reason. Only through some ancient scriptures did a similar incident take place, could they have found it again? "Perhaps this time, the power you've received is more than just a gift…"_

" _More?"_

" _Perhaps we should consult with High Priest Enel about this…"_

 _Before Ryugetsu could ask further, a large hand belonging to an equally large man clasped his shoulder. The muscle bound warrior had a wide smile on his face, a smile that never seemed to leave his face._

" _Nah, that crazy preacher would just talk nonsense about how Ryugetsu-kun is some angel sent by the Gods or something!" His smile got bigger as he faced Ryugetsu and held out a hand "Welcome to the Guardians, Kid, do us proud."_

 _Ryugetsu smiled and nodded, he has a new role now and he expects himself to fill that role to the fullest._

 **Flashback End.**

" _ **I'm supposed to be a Guardian of Birka… but I failed then… I thought, now that I'm here, I thought… I thought…"**_

Tears of anger, despair, and helplessness began to flow… It seems that the once proud warrior will meet his end here.

* * *

That is, until a startled screech from the queen above him was heard and he felt the weight lift off of him, only to feel searing heat graze past him a split second later.

" **I told you to wait for a second!"**

Gian gulped, this monster was much more than they bargained for. In terms of speed alone it rivaled Ryugetsu's; surpassed him even. Gian's own Full Transformation is on the slower side, and the Queen knew that. His own monstrous strength meant little if he can't actually hit his target…

Megaguirus chirped with annoyance; the King is just as tenacious now as he was millennia ago. But even still, this human is merely borrowing His power, while she is the original deal. And she was about to remind him again just how fearsome she is.

Smoke billowed from Gian's mouth as more **Atom Rays** were fired, but the monstrous insect evaded them all. He only barely avoided a flying swipe, but the air current that followed still sent him off balance. A few distances away, Ryugetsu was struggling to get up; a good amount of energy had been drained and he needed time to recover, if he has any.

" _ **Great… without Ryugetsu to match her speed that queen bitch is flying circles around us…!"**_ Gian thought " _ **It's gonna be hard to shoot her down… wait… is it just me, or does she appear to be even faster now?"**_

To his horror, Megaguirus indeed appeared to have a faint orange glow pulsating around her. As she fluttered around, her speed reached the point where it was so great that afterimages of her were appearing before Gian's eyes.

" **Oh great… this is going to be even harder-"**

He let out a roar of pain as Megaguirus slammed into his back, a move not even seen by either of them. Not even a split second later did Gian feel his back being split open as a result of her bladed wings, emitting another scream.

" **R-Ryugetsu… how did she… AARRRGH!"**

Gian was being bombarded by lightning speed attacks, each blow almost invisible to his eye and virtually unavoidable. Megaguirus's flitting around not only made the force of her attacks stronger, but also had another deadly side effect. The supersonic buzzing of her wings, already creating a high frequency, was further amplified by the sudden boost of speed she received. Gian and Ryugetsu was rolling around in pain as a result of her suddenly unleashed a sound wave that caused them to topple once again as blood seeped out from many openings.

And for those on the ground, they were near knocked unconscious. It was a surprise they could hear at all after this.

" **H-how could she-"** Ryugetsu wheezed before doubling over as the nausea took over. The massive Pteranodon vomited before slumping over again, but defiance was still in his eyes. Meanwhile, Megaguirus decided to separate her quarry. One last near invisible charge managed to lift Gian off the ground and send him flying hundreds of meters away.

And the Queen was upon him soon as well. As Gian struggled to get up, she began the charge. So fast was she that Gian had absolutely no time to reach before feeling searing pain in his stomach, and to his horror he realized what had happened when he looked down: Megaguirus penetrated his abdomen with her stinger.

" **Grraack!"**

He could literally feel his life flowing out of the puncture wound and into the ovipositor; a faint blue glow can barely been seen travelling up her tail as Megaguirus sucked him dry. This time, the Queen was even more merciless. Gian was treated to a barrage of pummels from her pincer like claws as she slowly forced him to his knees. The mutant Meganulon cackled sadistically as her prey's eyes began to fill with despair.

Slowly Gian's struggling began to cease, what was the point? The Queen's got him in her grasp, struggling would be futile.

Besides, it's only when someone is pushed to his absolute limit, do they finally notice the smaller details.

And Megaguirus picked this fact up too late as she felt claws fastened onto her tail: her struggles to free herself was miniscule in the face of her foe's iron like grip. And then she heard it: it was a simple statement, but so chilling to her.

" **I've got you at last, you BITCH!"**

* * *

With a roar filled with every ounce of defiance he had, Gian wrenched the stinger from his body before slamming it down hard, point first into the ground. Megaguirus howls in shock as she realized the predicament she's in now. Indeed, struggle as she might, she could only look on as Gian leapt up into the air before body-slamming her down to the forest floor, causing a massive cloud of debris to rupture as they both collided with the land.

Gian roared as the bug was pinned underneath his weight. Lifting his fists back, he then treated the Queen to a pummeling equal to the one she gave him earlier. Megaguirus screeched in rage; in the air she is the apex flyer, but she's next to helpless on the ground. Her razor wings and stinger are of no use if she can't use them effectively. Desperately she looked for an opening to escape.

And Gian's determination to pay her back for all the abuse she's dealt to him may just be the opening he needs. Just as the Kaiju-Zoan user reared his head back in order to bite into the Meganulon Queen's tail, his grip slacked just enough for the Queen to wriggle free of his grasp. True enough, this was all she needed to fly a safe distance away and leaving Gian with a mouthful of dirt. And thus, they were back to square one again.

" _ **Damn, I took too long…"**_ Gian cursed himself internally " _ **I should've just ended it there, but I wanted her to suffer…"**_

In the midst of all this, he's also aware of the loud cracks of thunder and lightning not too far from them; Enel and Luffy were still battling it out. Ever so briefly he could see flashed of lightning illuminating the dark storm cloud, showing the rubber boy in a clash against a much larger mass of electricity. It seems that Enel isn't pulling any punches this time. Gian gulped, they have to hurry even more now. Luffy will have to deal with Enel on his own, he and Ryugetsu had this much to deal with.

* * *

And the Queen was done playing with her food. Megaguirus chirped sadistically; the King had wounded her, and she's not about to let that go unpunished. Her jagged mouth widened, the energy she stole from him pulsing at a rapid rate within her. The King certainly has a massive pool of energy, such power! And he'll get a taste of his own medicine soon enough.

" **Ryugetsu… I think I've figured it out…"** Gian growled " **She may be bigger, but she's still a Meganulon. She feeds of energy just like her brood, but unlike them she's able to use it even further…"**

" **What… are you getting at?"**

" **Earlier, she was able to charge herself with electricity, she must've had a meeting with Enel. Then, she attacks you and drains some of yours, which allows her to increase her metabolism and speed up to eleven. I get it now, it's her stinger! Not only is she able to absorb energy through it, but she's able to adapt it within her and pretty much copy the abilities of whatever she drained from, with only some shortcomings!"** Gian stated, his eyes then suddenly widened.

" **Oh shit, she just stabbed me with it! Then, that means-"**

He realized too late as Megaguirus' eyes and tail flashed blue for a split second before a jagged version of his own **Atom Ray** fired from the Queen's tail! Just like that, Gian realized just how much his own thermonuclear rays hurt when they hit something.

* * *

" _ **Well, now I know what my strength feels like."**_ He groaned as he staggered back up, the power of his own ray fired back at him is something that he'd never want to experience again. The skin on his chest was peeling off in layers as the flesh underneath struggled to regenerate. Now he had a sort of idea of how much damage he could do.

And Megaguirus was relentless, firing off more improvised heat rays from her tail, all which forced Gian to dodge as they ignited the forest below them. Gian cursed; his previous bout with Ryugetsu has already damaged the Upper Yard enough. Throw in a bunch of mutant insects and that damage is going to get worse tenfold. And with Enel still on the warpath, Upper Yard's restoration is going to be difficult, if impossible…

" **I have to end this now!"** he growled as he charged again, but Megaguirus still has speed on top of the power she stole, and combining that together makes her a fearsome force of nature. She met Gian's charge with one of her own, crashing into him with the force of a meteorite reentering the atmosphere as her body became surrounded by atomic energy. The result was a massive shockwave that sent both of them reeling away from one another. Gian fell to one knee after a few seconds passed, slightly dazed by the impact.

And Megaguirus didn't let up on her assault. Once again her tail lit up as more atomic energy was fired. Gian was struck by a few as he tried to avoid them. He soon slumped over again.

" **Oi, Ryugetsu… she's still too fast. But I think I figured out a way to at least stop her from draining us. When you feel good about flying again just give me a shout."** Gian called over to his ally.

But there was no response.

" **Ryugetsu? Did you not hear me?"**

Dread begin to creep up, had Ryugetsu exerted himself too much? Unlike him Ryugetsu does not have the same regeneration power that the Goji-Goji no Mi bestowed upon him, so the injuries he's accumulated must've caught up. It was when he looked again did he realize he was still conscious and breathing.

" **My god… you had me worried for a second, I have-"**

* * *

It was then that he noticed Ryugetsu's expression, or rather lack thereof.

In his Full Transformation, Ryugetsu's head was draped downwards, eyes were partially closed. Small pants emanated from his beak. " _ **He's lost his spirit,"**_ Gian realized " _ **all the stress he's accumulated over the years is wearing him down too much. But we can't stop here."**_

" **I think I know a way to even the odds a little bit, but I'll need your help on this."**

"… **What good would that do…?"**

"… **Ryugetsu… we-"**

" **I've never seen anything faster than me, and you're too slow."** Ryugetsu gave a monotone mumble. " **And that Queen has way too many ways to adapt to our fighting styles."**

Gian groaned as Megaguirus slammed into him again. " **What are you saying? There's no time for lamenting right now!"** he seethed as the two of them wrestled together, before Megaguirus forced him back.

" **I'm a failure… always have been. I couldn't protect Birka, I can't protect Skypiea now… I don't deserve the title of Guardian…"**

" **I thought that if I could prevent even one life from being lost, then I could atone for my failures in Birka. But I can't even do that… Angel Island, all those voices…"**

" **Are you giving up?!"** Gian roared, managing to grab Megaguirus' ovipositor and tossing her through the sky into the distance " **We can't give up! Not while the citizens and my Nakama still depend on us!"**

" **How nice, when their turn comes they'll have someone…"**

" **RYUGETSU!"**

Disbelief clung to Gian's face. The warrior who fought tooth and claw with him earlier to protect the people of Skypiea, who fought so desperately to protect them from Enel, was just out of his mind here!

" **I miss my people so much sometimes… maybe I'll see them again in the afterlife."** Ryugetsu lifted his head one last time. A buzzing had sounded near him; Megaguirus had flown over top of his downed form. She sneered as she witnessed the one who took the form of her hated rival crumpled like that. To think the same species that fought her in the skies millennia ago was now reduced to such a pitiful form. It really is pathetic.

An orange glow began to glow brighter as Ryugetsu watched, glumly accepting his fate as a large orange ball of energy began to form near Megaguirus' thorax. She has no more need for this one anymore, not when the King still has so much essence to steal! The least she can do now is clean up the garbage.

Ryugetsu gave a light smile when she fired, the energy orb searing towards him through the sky.

" _ **Sorry everyone… I let you all down…"**_

* * *

And the resulting explosion quaked the entire Upper Yard, the entire place was rocked in a tremor so massive that, even at the base of Giant Jack, the remaining Straw Hats and reinforcements were shook off their feet. They had retreated back here, the aforementioned battle too great for them to handle and instead focused on how to better assist Luffy and survive the incoming lightning strikes from above. This shockwave brought them back to the idea that there were still monsters dueling it out in the Upper Yard.

And as the debris cleared, Ryugetsu's eyes snapped open to see none other than Gian hunkered over him. The blast was so powerful that it seemed even a few Dorsal fins were blown off. His arms and knees quivered as he tried to support his weight as to not crash down onto the Pteranodon. Blood seeped out of his mouth, but one thing that stood up above all was his eyes.

A bright amber color lit them, the same that takes place when he's about to fight. But this time, the expression was increased hundredfold.

And the thing that didn't change was the amount of rage, defiance and power those eyes held.

" **G-Gian…?"**

" **Say… every… damn… word… you puked out to me again…"** Gian snarled through the pain " **and I promise… I'll send you to your people myself…!"**

* * *

Despite the agony, Gian still staggered up and glared at the Queen. Megaguirus shrieked; this one's tenacity was enraging her. She was going to drain him, all of him, until nothing but a skeleton is left!

" **You're going to be a coward…? Going to give up…? Then lie there! Don't let me see it!"**

Ryugetsu couldn't even muster up a response.

" **Just remember… you have people still depending on you… people like Aisa-chan, who you promised you'll make it through this…"**

" **But you can deal with the repercussions of that yourself… meanwhile, you can just grovel there, and deal with your shame yourself!"**

Megaguirus cut a swath through the wind, stinger pointed and ready to pierce flesh. Gian didn't even attempt to dodge, rather he took two steps towards the Queen

" **BECAUSE I'M PROTECTING THOSE WHO ARE IMPORTANT TO ME, AND I'M GOING TO KILL THIS BUG!"**

" **COME ON!"** he gave one more defiant roar

 **CRUNCH**

And Megaguirus struck, her stinger landed right where Gian's head is…

Silence, as Gian's motionless body sway lightly.

Before Megaguirus suddenly let out a cry of shock and pain as it tried to fly off, but found out that she couldn't!

For Gian's iron cast jaws had snapped around the very stinger she uses to absorb energy, and he had no intention of letting go!

" **Got you…"** Gian growled, and Megaguirus' fear increased as she felt pressure on her stinger: Gian is crushing his teeth down hard.

That stinger is her most powerful weapon, she needed to get free or-

 **CRRRAAAACKKKK**

And Megaguirus' shrill cry of rage and pain cut through the air as her stinger was pulverized into splinters!

" **Just as I thought, you may be able to drain energy, but you can only store the ones you stole one at a time!"** Gian snarled " **But now? You won't be draining anything anymore! This is-"**

And Megaguirus attacked once again, this time her features were warped, rage clear in her compound eyes. Her legs stabbed repeatedly into Gian's skin, ripping out chunks as her rage is felt. She is going to kill this insolent beast, slowly and painfully. Indeed, as she picked him up with her claws and threw him to the ground. She let out a haunting cry as she glared at her opponent. He dare thinks she can't devour energy anymore? He think he's won? She'll soon let him see, just how she's survived for so long.

Gian was expressionless, even as a horde of buzzing drew closer. The skies began to blanket with insects again: the remaining Meganula were recalled by their queen, and they're going to drain him dry.

But they would never get the chance.

Megaguirus's cry of shock was heard by all as a vicious gale ripped through her children, dicing them to pieces while dispersing the rest, who buzzed around her angrily.

" **What was it that you said earlier?"** a supersonic force slammed into the Queen, grappling with her in midair " **Weren't you going to kill her?"**

* * *

" **Well, I could be wrong, but it seems to me she's still very much alive!"** Ryugetsu grunted as his talons wrapped around her wings, before slamming her down to the ground.

Gian only grinned.

Megaguirus tried in vain to lash out with a bladed wing, but this time Ryugetsu avoided it with ease. His eyes were cold, and looked upon her with disgust. The words from early still rang in his head, how could he have been so foolish? Well, he wasn't about to let everyone see. He's a guardian, and a guardian he shall be.

" **You've lived for thousands of years, it's time you give the world to what comes after you."**

Megaguirus howled as Ryugetsu lifted her up once more before slamming to the ground. The rest of her swarm tried to attack the two Kaiju-Zoan users, but to no avail as their power simply blew them away.

She's no longer interested in getting energy, there's only one thing on her mind. And that's to survive.

Beating her wings faster than she ever had, she made one last dash towards the sky in order to escape.

But Ryugetsu was not about to let her.

" **YOU AREN'T GOING ANYWHERE!"**

Talons fastened once again around her body as Ryugetsu ripped her from the sky, before dragging her through midair again. When he stopped, Megaguirus didn't even have a chance to react as a blue light began to light up.

And the primeval Queen of the ancient race of Meganulon, felt fear in her insectoid heart for the first time in a long time.

But this time would be her last.

" **GIAN, FIRE YOUR STRONGEST ATTACK!"**

" **Already ahead of you!"** Gian grinned as his dorsal fins lit up and pulsed three times.

" **SUPERCHARGE... MASSIVE ATOM RAY!"**

* * *

And the enhanced blast ripped into the Queen of the Meganulon. The scream she let out was beyond anything she's heard. Even as she writhed around trying to flee, Ryugetsu still held her in place. The heat was so intense that some parts of him was being burned as well.

But that's nothing compared to Megaguirus, the second she was struck the beam incinerated her in an instant and she was engulfed in flames. Her body began to crackle with light as her shrieks grew. All the energy she's stolen over the millennia was pouring out her in a golden light.

And then, Megaguirus exploded.

Ryugetsu was forced to the ground due to the blast, an explosion that rocked the Upper Yard to its core. Golden light began to cascade down from the impact zone, blinding to sight but strangely beautiful at the same time. Gian and Ryugetsu looked on silently. In a way, it was a tribute to those who've fallen against the Queen.

And one thing was certain: Megaguirus, a monster that lived for millennia, who lived off of energy, is finally exterminated. The insect horror has been erased from the world at last.

And the only thing that sounded was two, distinct voices. A call from an ancient time. It's simple, but everyone who heard it stood at attention.

* * *

" **KIRRRRRRROOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU"**

" **SKREEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOONNKKKKKK"**

* * *

And down below, far out into the Cloud Sea, the survivors of Skypiea looked up from their prayers in awe to see two dark silhouettes facing each other, eye to eye.

One, a massive Pterosaur with wings that seemed to stretch for miles.

The other, a massive Theropod that was alit with blue energy.

Two massive beasts from a bygone era, returned through unconventional means, but one thing was certain.

They stand aside one another, not as King or Subjugate, but as Equals.

* * *

Buzzing around them continued to sound; without their queen, the remaining Meganulon had lost their hive mind. Some fell to the ground, unresponsive, while others flew in a frenzy and fluttered off into the sky, away from sight.

" **They're leaving… what will happen then?"** Ryugetsu stated.

" **I believe the Meganulon were just doing the bidding of their higher power. Now that she's out of the equation, there isn't an overmind left. They'll soon perish on their own, unless something similar to the Queen develops again within the swarm…"** Gian replied.

" **Let's hope that won't happen anytime soon then."** Ryugetsu said " **And if it does, I'll stop it."**

Gian nodded, before his body became enveloped by a cloak of steam. His Full Transformation undone, he collapsed to the ground, all movement escaping from his body.

"WOOOOOW… I'm beat, never thought that fight was gonna be that tough!"

" **Thank you… In the depths of my despair, you managed to bring me back."**

Gian smiled lightly "I knew you wouldn't give up that easily, I'm just happy you proved me right." He then realized something: Ryugetsu hasn't transformed back yet.

"Are you OK? Our job is done."

" **Yes, we did defeat the insect threat… but my duties are not complete yet."**

"What are you-?" Gian asked, before realizing where Ryugetsu was looking off to.

" **There's one more score I have to settle."**

"You're injured, the hopes of you going up against Enel are slim. Let Luffy handle this!"

Ryugetsu shook his head " **I am aware of that, but I still need to pitch in, even if it's to help that boy against Enel in some way."** Ryugetsu plucked the prone form of his companion up before flapping his wings and taking off.

" **Now, to Giant Jack…"**

* * *

 _Soon after:_

With one last roar of exertion, Wiper's Reject Dial managed to blast the base of the beanstalk, and it slowly began to fall. His arm felt as if it was about to shatter, but since Monkey D. Luffy wanted to ring the Golden Belfry for that reason specifically, then it'll be necessary.

"Damn, that took a lot of work." Zoro grunted. His swords hardly made a scratch against the massive plant, and getting it to fall was no easy feat. Even with Nola slamming her head against it the beanstalk didn't even budge.

"Luffy! Go on ahead!" Nami called up. The Straw Hat boy nodded as he continued to run up the bean stalk, the golden ball still attached to his arm. Enel had knocked him down again, but this time, he had more of a reason to go back up.

"Will he make it in time?" Gan Fall wondered. Enel was still causing lightning to rain down against them, and time was trickling down.

" **If he can't, I'll get him there!"**

Everyone was surprised as Ryugetsu's massive wings swept up above them, dropping Gian off in the process before immediately flying up.

"Ryugetsu!" Robin noted, before looking around "Then-"

"Yo" Gian waved weakly.

"You made it too." Robin gave a light smile "Then I take it you've prevailed?"

"Hehe, can't kill me that easily." Gian smiled back.

"Good to see you aren't dead." Zoro grinned "What's the big bird going to do."

Gian only closed his eyes "To settle a vendetta that's been a long time coming."

The last thing he noticed before closing his eyes was a sight of Aisa, fists clutched tightly, looking up in concern. One sentence escaped her mouth though, which he heard clear as day.

"Ryugetsu-nii… go get him!"

* * *

Whether or not Ryugetsu heard it too was unknown, but the minute those words were uttered, his flight velocity increased exponentially. And soon, Luffy found himself clasped in his claws as he was struggling to climb the plant towards the golden bell.

"Woah! A Giant Bird!"

" **Hey, Monkey D. Luffy…"** Ryugetsu stated " **Why are you still going for the bell?"**

"For a friend, down at the sea. I promised I'll ring it." Luffy stated.

" **Then make sure you ring it hard."**

Luffy smiled "Of course I will."

* * *

The dark clouds surrounded them as they flew higher, and lightning became a common occurrence. Ryugetsu was struck repeatedly, but he won't let up, not now.

And when they broke through the clouds, he glared directly at God.

"Ryugetsu? Still trying to stop me?"

Enel's voice boomed all around them, and it was a terrifying sight. The once arrogant God has taken a new form, one of pure electricity surrounding him in the form of a massive Raijin shaped from electricity. Two tridents were sending showers of lightning around and his condescending eyes glared right at the Pteranodon.

" **I'll go every distance, just to see you fall, you son of a bitch!"**

"You haven't learned a thing! Witness how I destroy you and Skypiea!"

The two tridents gathered so much electricity that a dense black ball formed. Ryugetsu narrowed his eyes: **Raigo** had enough power to destroy an entire island, it seems Enel really is prepared to end this.

Then he smiled.

" **You will fall… whether by my hand or someone elses…"** At this Enel gasped, could it be? " **And if I need to see someone else defeat you, then SO BE IT!"**

One swing of his talons was enough to throw what he hid: Monkey D. Luffy with his arm reared back.

"ENEL! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET!"

"NO!"

* * *

 **Raigo** was fired in one last vain attempt to disintegrate both of them, but the fault of his came to play as Luffy's golden ball attracted all the electricity! Soon, the once powerful attack was nullified as if it was never there!

"No… I cannot stop here! I! AM! GOD!" Enel shouted in desperation as he blasted Luffy with all of his electricity in one massive beam. Luffy gritted as the golden ball burned his skin from the heat, but he reared back for his attack.

" **Gomu Gomu no…."**

* * *

"Do it Luffy!" his crew, down at the base, shouted in support.

"Have courage, Monkey D. Luffy." Gan Fall nodded.

* * *

"… **Ogon…"**

"GO, MONKEY D. LUFFY!" Wiper shouted "FOR THE FUTURE OF SHANDORA!"

"YOU CAN DO IT LUFFY-NII!" Aisa shouted as well.

"I don't believe it!" Gedatsu cried "He can actually stand up to Enel-sama!"

* * *

Above, Ryugetsu gave one last look at Enel, the once pompous God now had an expression of uncertainty and despair in his face as the attack got closer.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel any satisfaction at that.

" **Oi, Enel…"**

And he locked eyes one last time with the Mad God, as the energy from Full Transformations dissipated from him in a veil of smoke at last.

" **Birka…** sends their regards **…"**

* * *

"… **RIFLE!"**

Forward the punch landed with the force of a missile. Enel hardly had a chance to cry out in rage as the golden ball slammed into his chest, his own Raijin form making it much easier for the attack to land, and his own desperation prevent his Mantra from helping him.

The only way down was back, and he was sent flying, flying directly where Luffy wanted him:

The Golden Bell.

And once he struck, the impact was enough to shatter some of the ancient gold, but through that the most harmonic sound rose from the ancient relic.

The ring travelled throughout the sky, letting everyone witnessing its glorious sound.

To the Straw Hats, they knew their captain had just won.

But to others it meant more, so much more.

* * *

Tears began to stream down Wiper's eyes as he fell to his knees. This is a sound he'd wanted to hear for such a long time. Long ago, Montblanc Noland travelled to his ancestors, and now, 400 years later that bell had tolled again.

Gan Fall beside him gave a smile. With the ringing of the Golden Belfry, perhaps Skypiea can start anew.

Further down, the citizens all cheered, realizing the end of their pain had come.

And even further down, back at Jaya, 3 individuals could hardly believe what they've witnessed.

"Master… look up in the sky!" Masira pointed.

Montblanc Cricket knew only one thing. That the silhouette of a smiling boy means only one thing:

The lost City of Gold, the dream they've been pursuing.

It's true. All of it.

And as tears streamed down from his face and a harmonious toll hit his ears, he couldn't be happier.

* * *

Far above the clouds, as he took in the aftermath, the ringing of the Bell had a much different meaning for Ryugetsu.

His wings were beginning to tire, everything has caught up to him.

As the clouds began to disperse, he could see the ground below. It was not a pretty sight. The result of their battle with the vile Megaguirus had torn Upper Yard asunder, and it would take a long time for the land to return as it once was.

But it will return, that's what's important.

A weak smile began to spread. It seemed as if a massive weight had been lifted from him. Enel's shadow over him has cleared at last.

And the land, is now truly at peace.

Ryugetsu couldn't ask for any more he has no need to. He simply ceased the flapping of his wings.

And as his eyes closed, his smile remained, as he let gravity take over.

 **A/N:**

 **A while later, and I've returned! With that done, the last major event for Skypiea is complete. After this, there's just one chapter for the Skypiea Arc remaining, which is just an aftermath to tie in some loose ends. And after that? The Original Arc I've been raving so much about will finally come! I won't say too much except for one thing: it involves a sea dragon!**

 **This chapter had been quite challenging, mostly for how I wanted it to carry out. I ended up putting more focus on our Kaiju-Zoan users, more specifically Ryugetsu as he's the one affected the most, and their struggles instead. This resulted in much of Luffy v.s Enel getting shafted, which you only see for a little bit. Overall, it took a while to finally get it together, but I'm glad it did now.**

 **And that's all I have to say! We'll be back soon for our final chapter of the Skypiea Arc!**

 **Responses to Reviews:**

 **To Vergil Leonidas:**

 **G: I get food!**

 **Thanks! Mostly went for a more emotional route here. But here it is!**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **G: Don't even joke about it…**

 **It hasn't even ended that soon yet…**

 **To Chance Green G King:**

 **Yeah, wanted to keep it as loyal to the original content as possible.**

 **But as for flying with his Atom Ray, I just felt I could've introduced it later with a better timed moment. Most of this fight was focused more at Ryugetsu for me to put it in easily.**

 **To Karsap:**

 **Yup, you can expect a Destoroyah based fruit later on in the story. Hint, it'll be right before the timeskip.**

 **To JayH120:**

 **Fellow improviser!**

 **G: Not you too…**

 **Shut your ass, it's a concept.**

 **Well, it took a while, but they finally did it!**

 **To: SolanaLeonhart:**

 **I'll try to be faster soon!**

 **To Kakusei:**

 **G: It was difficult… I felt I got succed…**

 **Don't use that word…**

 **G: Why? You do it!**

 **I wish I never did.**

 **To Guest:**

 **I mostly gave him the weapon to distinguish him further from the rest of the crew more. Also when I conceptualized him, I always did wanted to give him a weapon of some sort, and it was gonna be a polearm from the start. Originally Atom Splitter was going to be a spear, but I felt a Guan Dao would be more unique.**

 **To T51b Mordin:**

 **G: Wasa wasa wasa wasaaaaaap BITCONNECT**

 **To MAJORMATT1234:**

 **G: yes! My humor is subjective but someone understands!**

 **To… All these questions, I'm assuming they're from the same guy due to formatting:**

 **Oh boy we got a lot…**

 **Yes, that will show up soon, in fact it'll be something he and Nami cook up together. And yes, Gian does know Nuclear Pulse. The Atom Pulse technique is based off of this.**

 **In a way yes, but Megaguirus is more of a creature that existed alongside the Kaiju, not a Kaiju herself. She's in the middle, and the classification will be identified much later.**

 **The Rumble Ball concept will be used a bit less as the story goes on, it'll more so take a back seat while Gian develops other techniques.**

 **Zilla will appear in some form, but as of right now not much plans for the other Godzilla: The Series monsters yet, perhaps as just regular monsters though.**

 **There's gonna be another Kaiju-Zoan user as his opponent when we get to Enies Lobby, but Gian might take out a ship or two.**

 **His title will change, though as for what it's gonna be it'll be a secret until then.**

 **Pre-timeskip, where we are right now, it's how Godzilla appears in Final Wars.**

 **Shin Godzilla will be a form that Gian would not like, I'll leave it at that only.**

 **Thanks you for your love and support, but for the next time, when you have this many questions it'll be better to drop me a PM instead. Rather not have the reviews so cluttered. Sorry!**

 **To Guest… with also a bunch of questions but longer and more well written ones! (No offense to our previous guest)**

 **Mothra will appear, and will have a major role towards the later part of the pre-timeskip. Her powers will mostly be the same, and Leo will have an appearance even later on, but that's not for a long time. As for her fairies, you'll understand it when we get to the part when she's supposed to appear.**

 **Not so much mythic ones, though some Kaiju-Zoans have subclasses as well, as you'll see later. But no, most of Kaiju-Zoans still abide by the same rules as regular devil fruits, so the Spacegodzilla fruit will be belonging to another person (and will actually be a major plot point later on.)**

 **Zilla is more based off of Zilla Jr., rather than the original. I feel like there's more to work with that way, but I like the baby raptor idea and might incorporate that!**

 **Ebirah does not have a Zoan Fruit, not every large animal you see from the Godzilla series is going to be a Kaiju Zoan, they'll be larger than life animals and that's all. But you're closer than you think on how the Kaiju-Zoans appeared than you think you are. A bit of that will be touched up towards the end of the Original Arc I got planned after.**

 **Gian can stay in his Partial Transformation as long as he's able to balance the internal energy required. He's getting good at it now. And the GianXRobin stuff is coming, you'll start seeing it more next arc.**

 **G: Damn they got questions for days…**

 **Can't blame em, there's a lot to ask!**

 **We'll see you next time!**

 **Leave a review for charity!**


	56. Coming down from a High

**Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Skypiea Arc opening: Skyreach (Akame Ga Kill! Op. 1)**

For hundreds of years, this island in the sky was under turmoil. When Shandora was first launched into the sky, the Shandia and the Skypieans began their war. When Enel inserted himself into the equation, it became a resistance against him too. Now recently, they were struck by a horror unleashed from an even more ancient past.

But for the first time in many people's memory, they could put all that behind them. With the ringing of the golden bell, the war between the Shandia and Skypiea ended. With all the destruction that befell both their lands, it will take both of them together to rebuild.

And the first thing to start with everything is tending to the wounded.

Wiper had passed out due to his injuries, and only woke much later. It took a bit of explaining to finally get him to realize that their people were finally at peace. Now realizing a new age has come, the berserker made a vow to help out whenever he can.

But his injuries pale in comparison to what another has been through.

"Why aren't they done yet?" Gian mumbled anxiously. He and the rest of the crew, all exhausted from their own endeavors, were waiting with fingers crossed on one last recovery. When Ryugetsu was finally delivered to the doctors, even they were shocked at just how many injuries he sustained. He and Luffy had both been caught by Nami upon her waver as they fell from the sky, but whilst Luffy was now mostly fine, Ryugetsu was out cold and nothing could rouse him. Even as Chopper volunteered his expertise on his treatment, they had been with Ryugetsu for hours upon end and it is already deep into the night.

"Gian, he's very hurt. More hurt than anybody here perhaps." Nami stated.

"Chopper is trying his best in there, he'll be fine!" Usopp tried to coax.

"I know, I know. I just want him to live!" Gian sighed "After what he's been through, what everyone's been through, there's no one more deserving than him to get a second chance."

It would be four hours later that Chopper finally stepped out of the tent, looking more exhausted than he's ever been. He sat down and released a loud breath of fatigue.

"Chopper!" everyone cried "How is he?"

"I never seen someone so strong in my life!" the reindeer mumbled "The amount of injuries he's sustained, it way too much for a regular person to handle! How he was able to stand for as long as he did is unreal!"

"Then, don't tell me he's-" dread began to creep up.

Chopper looked at him, before giving a small smile.

"It was a difficult battle, but he's going to live! He's resting right now, the amount of wounds he's carrying means he won't wake for a while but he'll be ok!" he declared, and Gian let out a sigh of relief.

"Chopper, you're the best! I knew he'd be fine if you were at the helm!" Gian grinned.

"S-shut up! Saying that isn't going to make me happy!" the doctor swooned.

"Yet you were the one pacing around like it was your brother on the operating table earlier." Zoro grinned, but he was relieved as well.

"Still, even after this, there's still the matter of his fate." Sanji said.

Everyone fell silent. Sanji is right, for even though Ryugetsu played a vital role in beating back the Meganulon threat the fact that he still was a member of God's Army is undeniable. Considering how a majority of the surviving members of God's Army has already been judge and exiled to a distant Desert Cloud means the final verdict for how Ryugetsu will be judge is still up in the air.

"They can't exile him! If it weren't for him I wouldn't be standing here!" Gian stated firmly.

"That isn't for us to decide." Robin chided "We don't really have a place in their decision making."

"I know… but still…" Gian grimaced. He then felt Robin place a hand on his shoulder.

"Remember, to them we may be heroes, but this is still a pirate crew. I don't think they'd trust us as much had our reputation be more known up here."

Gian thought it over "Yeah… you're right. Though this is just how I feel. Ryugetsu deserves a second chance, anyone can see it."

Robin nodded "Yes, and we'll have to wait to see what they decide."

 _Later:_

Ryugetsu finally awakes after another 4 days, and he quickly realizes his predicament. To be honest with himself, he really didn't care what their decision will be.

"You shouldn't worry too much." Laki, the woman from the Shandia tribe, was the one escorting him "We saw the real you after what you've done, I'm sure Gan Fall knows this too."

"Perhaps, but I'm still guilty by association." Ryugetsu shrugged "I looked on as Enel subjected his control over the land, rather than step in I held my tongue like a dog. Whatever sentence they give me, I will accept it in grace."

Laki softened "Don't keep blaming yourself for that, you weren't in a position to resist, we all see it now."

Ryugetsu shrugged "the decision on my fate will be based on more than my history."

Laki nodded, knowing what he's talking about. Ryugetsu's power, his identity as a Kaiju-Zoan user, cannot go ignored.

"Aisa looks up to you, you know?" she stated "She's hoping they won't hand out too harsh of a sentence."

"She's a good kid." The winged acolyte responded with a light smile "Maybe a bit too kind at times."

Arriving before Gan Fall, Ryugetsu was surprised to see Gedatsu also there. He'd heard how some of other God's Priests have already been judged and punished by banishment, perhaps due to him switching allegiances when the Meganulon struck is what delayed that sentence.

A group of Skypiean and Shandian warriors surrounded them, their newfound unity still fresh after the war. For all the situation means, Ryugetsu is glad to see this development. There really is no need to fight anymore.

"Ryugetsu, God's Bird please step forward. As is the same for you, Gedatsu, Priest of Enel." A guard beside Gan Fall stated, and the two responded in kind.

"First and foremost, because of both your bravery and actions during our latest conflict, we give you our thanks. It would be unimaginable to think what could happen had the two of you not offered your help as you did." The old knight rumbled. Ryugetsu bowed his head.

"That said, your associations with Enel cannot go unnoticed, and the varying degree of actions you've performed under his name is not something we can ignore. Although we cannot deny the strength and aid you've both displayed it's the matter of both your images that is up for discussion."

"I understand, honorable Gan Fall." Ryugetsu nodded "I accept whatever judgement you hand me."

"I'm honestly on the same boat." Gedatsu replied "After the shit I've seen I really don't care what happens to me now."

Gan Fall smiled "Very well, it seems like the two of you are willing to go through this smoothly. We will start with Gedatsu then." He cleared his throat "Through consultation with many people, we've decided that we cannot erase the actions you've done as a member of Enel's Priests. I am sorry, but our decision will be your banishment from Skypiea. However, we are granting you more autonomy than some of your comrades. Rather than exile to the Desert Cloud, we are instead letting you choose where your whereabouts are to be from now on. The only limitation to this is that you are not to return to Skypiea for the foreseeable future. Is that a well enough sentence?"

The former Priest shrugged "Heh, could be a lot worse. I'll take it, wasn't exactly fond of this place either."

"Very well then, we will now move on to Ryugetsu." Gan Fall nodded "You are quite the matter of contention among us, with what is revealed to us the main reason for that. There are things we must still discuss further, but that is a much more private matter we will discuss in our own time. We recognize your role in Enel's Army as more of that of surveillance, but the people are less concerned with that than they are with your potential for... destruction."

Ryugetsu sighed "I understand, people with my abilities are not a common place in this world. If they fear me because of it and think I will act on their fear, then I have no qualms about exile."

Gan Fall smiled "Now now, I did not say anything about exile." Much to Ryugetsu's surprise.

* * *

"Skypiea is wounded right now, our people are mending but we are vulnerable. We are not in any situation to defend ourselves should an invader like Enel strike us again. Therefore, through discussion with the citizens, we came to a conclusion that your role as the Guardian of Skypiea is second to none."

"But I have no right to be a Guardian anymore!" Ryugetsu protested, the failures of his past were something he'll never forget. Can he really live up to that expectation again?

"Ryugetsu-san, do not let the wrongs of the past define what you can become today. If it weren't for your actions against the Insect scourge, then Skypiea would not be airborne today. In fact, this decision has been thought about by all of Skypiea, and the result is unanimous."

Ryugetsu's eyes widened "You mean that they all want me to-" he whispered in awe.

"Each and every one." Gan Fall confirmed with a smile.

It was then that Ryugetsu felt the smiles and encouragement all those around him. Every face he saw indicated that they agreed with the verdict. He caught glimpses of some of the people he's fought against, and later alongside as well. He especially took notice of a small child within the crowd; Aisa's face was beaming and she nodded to him.

"I graciously accept this role, Honorable Gan Fall" Ryugetsu fell to his knees and bowed "I won't let you down."

 _Later:_

Even 4 days after the end of their conflict, celebrations are rife between everyone. They had a reason to, considering what they've been through and how much they've endured. The Shandia and Skypieans are joined together, this celebration is for both of them.

Ryugetsu sighed as he took in all the joy and energy the people around him expressed. It truly is a wild party, and the Straw Hats are in the thick of it having a good time as well. Even the giant snake showed up to take part in the festivities.

He himself, however, seem content just observing the commotion.

"Hey, there you are!" a familiar voice called. Ryugetsu looked up and waved. To think a few days prior he and the person known as 'Beast Warrior' Gian were enemies, then fighting on the same side against the Meganulon. It's truly interesting how things worked sometimes "I was looking all over for you."

"I'd expected you to be enjoying the party." Ryugetsu responded.

Gian grinned "The crew has parties practically every second day, I've seen enough to know where they all go." While his injuries have all but healed, Ryugetsu is still bandaged up in multiple areas. The fist mark on his face hasn't quite disappeared yet either. Aside from all that Ryugetsu seemed a lot more positive than before.

"That aside, why are you off to the side?" Gian asked "You're technically a hero, you saved them."

" _We_ saved them, if you weren't there I wouldn't have been able to stop the Queen by myself" Ryugetsu corrected him.

"Yeah, but I'm a pirate. The hero thing doesn't quite align itself well with people like me." Gian shrugged.

"That aside, I still don't think it's a good idea to mingle too much yet." Ryugetsu sighed "They won't show it, but behind all the courtesy you can see a slight amount of concern for me, or at least what I stand for."

"Ryugetsu," Gian held out a hand "If it's about the deal with Enel, then that can heal with time when they see the real you. And if you're talking about the more… internal aspects, then you just don't show it."

"Hmm? How would you go about making that work?"

"It's as simple as accepting that fact and knowing what you're worth. The Kaiju-Zoan may be a part of you, but it does not define you. You're Ryugetsu, Guardian of Skypiea and that isn't something a bird monster is going to change."

Ryugetsu shook his head "You make this sound so easy."

"Trust me, we're the same in this regard. I can't even count the amount of times I worry about what other people are thinking when they know about the monster we contain, but when you and your nakama are fighting side by side together, that though quickly goes out the window." Gian replied "You just need to find the right people."

Clasping his shoulder, Gian gave a smile "Now, go and enjoy the party! Go drink, dance, and have some fun! Speaking of dancing…" he looked around and his smile got bigger when he found what he wanted to look for "That one Shandian girl seem to want to get to know you better after the past few days!"

Ryugetsu followed his gaze and saw Laki in the distance, talking with a few of her tribespeople. It happened quickly, but he could've sworn that the woman looked at him slightly and gave a smile.

"What makes you think me and her have anything to do with each other?"

"Trust me, she's digging you. You just need to go speak to her." Gian smirked.

"I almost cleaved her in half once, that's like the opposite of attraction!" Ryugetsu protested.

"Yeah, but that was before everything got cleared up. Did you know while you were out she'd come and check up on you quite often?"

"She did?" Ryugetsu mumbled, a slight pink appeared on his cheeks "W-well it still isn't going to work! Her people and I don't exactly have a good history!"

"For crying out loud! You need to get it together!" Gian complained "It's just asking if she'd want to spend some time together, the worst she could do is say no!"

Ryugetsu sighed, this would be a great time to get to know some people "Fine, I'll go ask her for a dance later-"

"That's my man!"

"-on the condition you ask Nico Robin to do the same."

Silence.

"…What?"

* * *

"I didn't stutter, Ryugetsu smiled "It's exactly what it sounds like."

"Robin and I don't have anything going on!"

"Yes, I suppose that's why you rushed to her side when Enel struck her down. I saw your eyes Gian, you looked as if you wanted to rip him in half." Ryugetsu said with a knowing look.

"T-that's because she's a crewmate of mine and I care about her that way!" Gian stuttered.

"Perhaps, yet you showed more concern for her rather than say, the swordsman?"

"Z-Zoro almost got cut in half once I know he'll fine!"

"Very well, do what you will." Ryugetsu shrugged "But your feelings are clear, and it's better to reveal them sooner than later. After all, when she roused from unconsciousness you were the first by her side."

"I do NOT have feel-"

The sound of footsteps running towards them diverted their argument. The two looked up to see Aisa running towards them.

"Ryugetsu-nii! I found you at last!"

"Ryugetsu…nii?" the acolyte gave a look back at his companion, who only shrugged.

"Look at that, you're already connecting with some people."

"I'm not used to being addressed like that." Ryugetsu stammered.

"Well get used to it. Little girl sees you like a big brother, you might as well act like it."

Ryugetsu knelt down and smiled at the Shandian girl "Hello Aisa-chan, what can I do for you?"

Aisa gave a big smile "Come and dance!"

Ryugetsu chuckled "Dancing, huh? Not really much of a dancer…"

"Come on! It'll be fun!" the little girl isn't accepting no for an answer, rather she dragged the acolyte along with her. Gian could tell, however, that Ryugetsu wasn't putting up any resistance.

"Well, now I'm alone." He shrugged and looked around, before pausing on a familiar face. A few distances away he could see Robin observing the party as well. The voice of Ryugetsu suddenly filled his head again. He shook them off.

" _No, it's not like that. She and I are just crewmates."_

Still, try as he might, he felt the increasing need to approach her. Perhaps it was the fact that Robin herself was on the sidelines of the party, but looking at her from this angle Gian really wanted to get closer.

" _She never was the one to be really social at these kind of things, and I still know so little about her."_

And walk over he did.

"Ah, Gian. Not enjoying the celebration?" Robin gave an eye-smile when she sensed him coming.

"Hehe, it's been a couple of days of the same stuff. I know they got a lot to look forward to but this is more partying then even we do!" Gian chuckled "Speaking of which, you don't seem to want to join in much either."

"I don't usually get many occasions to partake in events such as this." Robin shrugged "I'd say I'm not used to it."

"I get it, though they deserve this," Gian grinned "Now that I think about it, some of this victory goes to you as well."

"Oh? What do you mean by that?" Robin tilted her head.

"If it weren't for you giving us that bit of knowledge about the Meganulon, then Ryugetsu and I would've had a much harder time against them! But because of you, we know their motivation and we were able to find a way to counter them."

"I'm sure it wasn't as impressive as that!" Robin chuckled.

"I think it was! Every bit of knowledge matters against an enemy, and you gave us that!" Gian pressed "Not only that, you were able to figure it out by just reading a few inscriptions carved in stone! You're honestly amazing!"

"Oh, I see." Robin smiled slightly, not sure how to process this information.

The two were silent for a while, before Gian spoke up again.

"Uh, are you sure your injuries have fully healed?"

"Hmm?" Robin tilted her head "I believe Chopper did quite a good job at dressing my wounds. It's a bit sore right now but I am fine, why do you ask?"

"Oh! Yeah! That's Chopper for ya, we can always trust him!" Gian stammered "I just wanna make sure. Don't want to have any go wrong while we're this high up you know what I mean?"

" _Why am I like this all of a sudden?"_ he thought.

"I will be fine. That being said, you and Ryugetsu went through a lot, maybe you should get a check up again, or your wounds might get infected and you'll get blood poisoning." Robin stated.

"…That is rather specific." Gian deadpanned "Though you need not worry! My healing factor has never let me down before and it isn't about to now!"

"Then that's good to hear." Robin giggled "By the way…"

She looked back at him "Thank you for looking out for me, back at the Ruins I mean." Her eyes were cast down slightly when she said that.

"Oh yeah, anything for a nakama." Gian grinned, before straightening "Wait, were you conscious when I arrived?"

"Enel's lightning was enough to almost knock me out, but I saw a bit of your arrival."

Gian's eyes suddenly widened "Then… you mean you heard that-"

"I did, yes." Robin mumbled "Was there a particular reason you singled me out above, say, Swordsman-san?"

"Ohhhh, uhhhh, ummm." Gian fumbled "Since you're new with, I felt like it'll be better for me to look out for you more. Make you feel more familiar with us if, uh, I'm-" he struggled to find an excuse. It was only a few days ago did he remember everything that he said back at the Ruins of Shandora. He'd never expected himself to say that, nor did he expect she was listening in.

"Ah, perhaps that's why." Robin gave a light smile "Though I've survived fine by myself, you need not worry too much about me."

She then smiled lightly again "It was nice gesture though, thank you."

"Ah, yeah! No trouble at all!"

And then it was silent between them again. The suddenly stillness between him and Robin was enough to even block out the sound of merriment from the rest of Skypiea.

And Gian suddenly realized how awkward things got. A few days ago he'd have no problem saying anything between them, and suddenly they couldn't find anything to say at all.

Though, even though that, just sitting and looking at her without speaking, Gian found it rather peaceful.

" _I don't have to say a word, yet just her being here, it's a welcoming presence…"_ he thought pleasantly.

Ryugetsu's earlier voice floated through his head again, this time he didn't find it that irritating however.

" _Maybe asking her to go dance wouldn't be that bad of an idea."_

"Say, uh, we've been, um, sitting here for a while so-" his proposal was interrupted when Robin suddenly faced him.

"Ah! I suddenly remembered something." The archeologist smiled "There's something in the Ruins of Shandora I think you'd like to see!"

"Oh…! Ok, it's getting a bit late though…" the sudden interjection made him unsure of what to do.

"Don't worry, I don't think anyone will notice we are gone. And I think you'll find this knowledge useful." Robin got up and began walking away from the clearing, beckoning him to follow.

"Right behind you!" Gian grinned. Even though his offer didn't come out, this wasn't a loss, not at all.

" _Yeah, me and her. She's just someone who knows about Kaiju-Zoans and sharing some of the knowledge with me. That's all we are."_ Gian thought " _Ryugetsu probably doesn't know what he's talking about!"_

Though in deepest part of his mind, he couldn't help but think that maybe they could go further than this…

 _Later:_

"Poseidon… does it have anything to do with Pluton?" Gian asked Robin as they walked towards the Ruins she spoke about. Meanwhile, Robin revealed what she's found the day before; the Shandian Golden Belfry had not been knocked into the clouds by Luffy as initially believed, but rather caught on a part of the beanstalk. Upon retrieving it, Robin discovered a few more of those ancient blocks of records that she's sought after.

"It's another one of the Ancient Weapons, though that's all the Poneglyph said about it." Robin explained "Aside from that, there was also another written passage. One that was engraved by none other than the former Pirate King himself."

"I don't believe it, Gold Roger himself came to Skypiea years ago?" Gian exclaimed.

"That's what the Poneglyph said." Robin confirmed.

"So the Pirate King's been here before… it's like we're following in his footsteps." Gian mused.

"It would appear so, and more importantly it contains a big clue in what I'm looking for. The Rio Poneglyph, its location is on none other than Raftel."

"So, it seems like our interests align once again." Gian elbowed her lightly "Guess you're stuck with us!"

"Fufufu, I never mentioned I wanted to leave." Robin chuckled.

They eventually arrived at an entrance to a basement hidden within the ruins. Robin lit a lantern before she and Gian descended down into the darkness. It was at the base where Gian saw how big the chamber was.

And what was engraved upon the stone is what truly drew his attention.

* * *

"Oh my, Oh my-" it seems that the legends he's tried to decipher has made its way even up here.

"I was quite surprised when I found it." Robin explained "I wouldn't have believed that, even here, the legends have such a far spread in the world. But now we know, the legend of Kaiju are known to Shandora, and they've kept it even up here."

"Shandora was once a part of the sea, long before it became one with the sky…" Gian whispered "A civilization with as rich of a culture would no doubt have knowledge of the Kaiju!"

The engraving was nothing short of extraordinary; even with much of its gold stripped away, the carving was still visible. And it wasn't just one either, it was an entire series, of how the ancient civilization of Shandora come to know some of the monsters that once existed upon the land.

* * *

" _May mercy be upon the skies when we are in the presence of Great Radon, whose wings blot out the sun and winds that scour the land."_ Robin read a passage from one of the carvings. Upon the stone it shows the imprint of what appears to be a massive flying beast, the same form of Ryugetsu's Full Evolution, flying over a group of people, presumably the Shandoran's of ages past.

"Radon… the beast has a name." Gian mused "Just like Gojira, Radon appears to be another important Kaiju. That book you've given me shows that it's been documented throughout multiple civilizations!"

* * *

" _Yet perhaps it is due to the presence of Great Radon that we are able to settle in peace. For as the insect scourge plague the grounds, the skies above is the only threat they fear._ _Even the Queen bows in shame, for the skies are Radon's kingdom."_ This time the engravings showed a picture that, in the past few days, was something far too familiar. The same flying monster from earlier, battling scores of Meganulon, while the Queen herself rises out of the mass and issuing a challenge.

" _They call Radon the Bird of God, his unparalleled wings sail through the wind. Even Shandora is shadowed beneath his magnificent wings. We of the Shandia are mere specks of dust in its eye, though specks that still is to be noticed. For Great Radon sees us all, nothing escapes his sight. Only God reigns above, and Radon is His eye."_

* * *

Even through the scripture, Gian could sense the feelings the old generation felt. Living in the shadow of such a beast he could sense a great deal of awe and fear. But even under that, there was a sense of reverence. Shandora's first people must've seen the beast as nothing less than divine if they were to describe it as so.

"Radon… it's connected to this place."

"Some say Great Radon's war against the Insects were of a personal vendetta." a new voice alerted them as Gian and Robin turned to see Wiper stepping into the ruins, with Gan Fall and Ryugetsu following them. The berserker was covered in bandages, but he's already back to being the proud warrior he's always been.

* * *

"Warrior Wiper said he has something of interest to show me." Ryugetsu explained "I assume this is it."

"The Queen Scourge, Megaguirus, slayed the parents of Radon." Wiper continued "Radon wasn't here to protect my ancestors, but to settle a score."

The berserker smiled "But even as his war raged on, my ancestors lived below him. His actions have allowed my ancestors to settle here, thus Shandora rose from underneath his wings."

"A God…" Robin mumbled.

"These are mere tales passed down from my ancestors, yet it's said that they are based off of truth." Wiper continued "I have reservations about this tale, but it's told that in his youth, one of my ancestors, Calgara, witnessed with his own eyes of a battle between Radon and the Queen Scourge. The battle ended, with the Queen's shamed retreat while Radon asserted his triumph through the skies, so as it's been told."

"That recent?" Gian asked "I was under the impression that the Kaiju had all but disappeared by that point."

"It is just a story, one that we still preserve but a story nonetheless." Wiper explained "However, Radon is still an important beast in our history as you will see next."

The final carving is the biggest of all of them, and the contents that it bore held both Gian and Ryugetsu in a shock.

Two giants, standing face to face. One is the winged form of Radon, ascending to the sky. The other, rooted on the ground but regal nonetheless, is an image that Gian has seen many times in that book of his. The King of Monster: Gojira."

* * *

Robin began to read the passage: " _As Great Radon ruled the skies, it bows to no being. Some have attempted to subjugate his great presence, and they have been lost in the wind. Yet it is the appearance of a being of greater power did Great Radon first witness strength._

 _Gojira, the destroyer, the Beast borne of a Thousand Flames, the undisputed King of Monsters, rose from the depths of the sea. His presence only means one things: cataclysm was to happen. Great Radon never took kindly to intruders on his territory, and a meeting between those two can only have one outcome._

 _The resulting battle shook the foundation of the Earth to its core. While our city of Shandora was not caught between the cross fire, the landscape around it shall be forever scarred. The two beasts cannot stop, Gojira and Great Radon both have far too much pride on the line._

 _Yet it is what happens after that will truly be ascribed to legends._

 _Gojira crossed gazes with Great Radon, and Great Radon matched that gaze. As the King headed back to sea, Great Radon took to the skies once more. And from that departure, the sound of a crescendo that signaled one meaning:_

 _They were not mere monsters, not a Subject to a King, but Equals._

 _Though no child of Shandora can ever hope to decipher the reason behind this meeting, one result came unexpected. Great Radon was an independent spirit, a fickle spirit of the Wind that is free of the shackles from the ground. Such a being who's never given a second glance at any trouble, would race to the aid of Gojira whenever the great King has befallen an unfortunate encounter. Even more surprising was the actions of Gojira, a being so prideful that it sees no other equal. Whenever Great Radon would be troubled, one can always hear the roar of the King split the sky soon after…"_

* * *

"This is-!"

"Ryugetsu, Gian-san, I used to pass off the stories that the elders of the Shandia told as nothing more than an old legend. But after the events in days prior, I'm starting to feel that's no longer the case." Wiper informed them.

"Indeed, while I have not the history enrichment that Wiper-kun's people given him, the legends of Kaiju are not lost to me" Gan Fall rumbled "Gian-kun, Ryugetsu-kun, I don't know how or why, but the spirits of Gojira and Radon live on within you."

"You mean the Kaiju-Zoan fruits we've eaten?" Gian asked "We have no idea how they came to be either."

"And that is a question I do not have the answer to as well." Gan Fall nodded "However, it is the meaning of your fruits that have led to this moment."

"I don't follow, are you saying that Gian and I were predestined to meet each other?" Ryugetsu questioned.

"Not you as yourself, but more precisely the beasts within." Gan Fall answered "For whatever else, Gojira and Radon stood shoulder to shoulder whenever one needed the other in combat. Your encounter with each other perhaps isn't just a chance meeting, but the reunion of two ancient forces that once stood as a powerful force born into the world."

Gian and Ryugetsu glanced at each other, unsure of what to make of the information given. The two of them both had a feeling that their power wasn't just like the average Devil Fruit, but to think it would something this deep?

"Of course, these may all be just legends, and should be taken as such. Still, with the amount of Kaiju-Zoan users that have appeared to us, this grows for concern." Gan Fall stated again "It was only 20 something years ago when Kaiju-Zoans last graced the sky."

"You mean Roger's Crew?" Gian asked.

"Hmm, so you know. I assume Nico Robin has revealed her findings. Yes, the man who called himself Roger brought along a pair of twins with his crew, even he claimed that those two were more than we can assume." Gan Fall nodded "If I hadn't seen them with my own eyes, I would not have believed the old legends."

"This is all a lot to process." Ryugetsu sighed "I was never aware of the implications behind the powers given to me, only what I can use it for. Now you're telling me there's something more to all this?"

"We know as much as you do, perhaps even less." Gan Fall answered "While the monsters within you may take your path to another place, it's you who ultimately determines your own path."

"Gan Fall is right, we're just the carriers not the monsters themselves." Gian affirmed "I won't let what one power does dictates where I'm going to go."

Ryugetsu nodded "Perhaps you're right, it's best not to lean against powers that are beyond our logic." He looked at the engravings once again, taking them all in.

"Still, this is a lot of information. The rest of you seem more used to the knowledge of Kaiju, I'm afraid I'm rather behind."

"You can have access to the ruins whenever you like." Wiper stated "We've been at odds for years, perhaps now we can begin to reconnect." He then turned to Robin and Gian.

* * *

"I have much to thank your captain for, he brought back hope for us. If it weren't for him ringing the bell, perhaps my ancestor's prayers may be answered." He closed his eyes "over 400 years ago my ancestor Calgara made a vow to his friend Noland that the ringing of the Golden Belfry will signal their location so they may meet again. I hope whatever descendent he has can now find some closure."

"I believe he will." Robin smiled "Now that the fighting is over, what will happen here?"

"I've always been doubtful of the Chief and Gan Fall-san's effort to form peace between our people, but perhaps with the war over we can begin to rebuild." Wiper smiled "The Upper Yard is in ruins, it will take a long time to restore it and we also need to ensure none of Megaguirus' spawn remain in the Upper Yard. But together, even that can be possible and we can overcome this."

"Time heals the deepest of wounds." Gian nodded "We'll wish you the best on your efforts."

"Thank you, and please let Monkey D. Luffy know that he and the rest of you are always welcome here." Wiper nodded before departing back to the Shandian Village "Oh, and one more thing. We have a gift for you tomorrow, as part of our gratitude." He said before leaving.

* * *

"Monkey D. Luffy, he's certainly one interesting boy." Gan Fall chuckled "I wonder, is he related to Roger?"

"Roger? Good heavens no." Gian shook his head "To think of it, we still don't know who his parents are!"

"Is that right? Interesting, those two certainly are alike in many ways…" He closed his eyes "Then again, I may be just overthinking it. I bid you a good night and I'll see you off tomorrow!"

The old knight left as well, with Ryugetsu following close by. Before he left, he gave one last look at the engraving of the flying beast Radon. A small smile played on his lips before he departed, leaving Gian and Robin alone.

* * *

"Well, that wasn't how I expected tonight to turn out, but it was welcome regardless." Gian chuckled.

"I'm glad I got you to come down here, but I hope it was useful." Robin stated, before the unexpected happened.

Gian's grip wasn't exactly hard, but his embrace was unexpected nonetheless. Naturally the young man realized too late what has happened, before hastily letting go.

"Oh… wow… no idea where that came from."

"I… didn't expect you to get that emotional…" Robin gave an uncharacteristic stammer.

"Yeah, that wasn't like me. It's just… thank you… for this I mean."

Robin regained her cool composure "It wasn't anything too revealing, there's still so much left out."

"Even still, any information now is good information." Gian smiled "It's only been a couple of weeks since the revelation of the Kaiju-Zoans being something more than an ordinary Devil Fruit was known, and ever since then the events I've been getting into have been crazier and crazier. Even with small bits like this, you've been a big help, so thank you."

Robin smiled "There's nothing to worry about. I'm looking for history as well, and as different as the Kaiju-Zoans are from what I'm looking for, they're still a part of history and that much is always welcome. If I'm of any help, I'm glad I can give you a bit of closure."

"Great!" Gian beamed "This is wonderful! I think this is the beginning of a wonderful partnership!"

"Fufufu, what do you have in mind now?"

"Well, consider this, you're the expert on historical subjects and you're looking for those stone blocks of yours. Meanwhile, I'm here wondering what the Kaiju-Zoans are meaning, but I don't have your level of expertise. With your knowledge and my… always welcome presence! The two of us can help each other out, and maybe learn a thing or two!" Gian beamed "Yeah, that's all I thought up."

Robin chuckled and shook her head "It looks like I'm getting the raw end of the deal. But very well, I think it can be done."

"Great! Then it'll be a pleasure doing business with ya!" Gian grinned "Now let's head back, there's probably still a good couple of hours before they stop partying."

And he stode back. Robin gave a lingering smile at his departing form before following him.

* * *

 _The next day:_

"And thus, I depart, the world is my treasure now and I will explore it as I please!"

Gedatsu's departure was nothing spectacular, not that he wanted anything. The former priest was dressed in a simple robe and carrying a bo staff as he boarded a dial boat preparing to sail away. Where he is going, even he doesn't know. Maybe to the same blue sea the Straw Hats will be heading to?

"He's taking this really well…" Usopp mumbled.

"I never thought I might miss the guy." Chopper said.

"And off I go, to whatever lies beyond!"

The boat was motionless.

"…YOU NEED TO TURN THE DIALS ON DUMBASS!" everyone shouted.

Meanwhile, the Going Merry was prepared to leave as well. The sky had been an experience to visit, but now they can't wait to be back in familiar waters. But they'll be leaving with a bit of baggage.

"I still can't believe we pulled that off." Gian grumbled as he loaded in the last bag of gold. Upon returning last night, he was met by an ecstatic Luffy who promptly got the crew together and revealed his findings. Hidden deep within Nola was mountains of gold that Enel did not find, and while the serpent slept, the crew hastily took the gold that was supposed to belong to the Shandia. After the events that perspired, gold wasn't exactly the first thing on his mind but remembering what they could use it for, went along with the plan.

"They certainly didn't find out." Zoro nodded.

"So much goldddd…" Nami's eyes are still glowing.

"Shhh, do you want the same people to hear us?" Gian warned.

"Ready to go?" Conis smiled at them. She and her father had volunteered to send them off at Cloud's End.

"Just about! A bit more preparations and we'll be ready!" Gian answered.

"Alright! Let's set sail soon!" Luffy cheered.

But before they can leave, the group's hearts dropped into their stomachs as they saw a group of Shandians running towards them. Carrying with them a pillar of solid gold, they had originally planned to express their gratitude as so, but to some of the Straw Hats, they thought it was something else.

"AAAAHHHH!" Usopp screamed "THEY KNOW!"

"THEY HAVE A CANNON AIMED AT US!"Chopper cried.

"OK! LET'S LEAVE!" Luffy shouted.

"Didn't Wiper say there was a present for us?" Gian asked Robin.

"Guess we don't want it." The archeologist shrugged.

* * *

And they sailed off towards Cloud's End. All the while, Skypieans and Shandians alike send them off, shouting out words of gratitude and wishing them well.

They were almost at the gate when a shadow cast over the ship. Gian looked up and beamed, as Ryugetsu smiled back down.

"AAAHHHH! THE BIRDMAN'S COMING BACK TO TAKE THE GOLD!" the childish trio screamed and went to hide the hoard.

"They do realize that the Shandians don't mind about the gold they took right?" Ryugetsu chuckled.

"Eh, it'll keep them on their toes." Gian smiled back.

"Guess you're leaving now?" the winged warrior looked forward.

"Yeah, we have places to be." Gian responded.

"Then I wish you the best, on your journey, and what you're looking for."

"And I you, may we meet again." Gian smiled and the two Kaiju-Zoan users shook hands before Ryugetsu flew off.

"You've been making friends." Sanji noted as Gian's smile didn't depart his face.

"More like I found someone that share my path." Gian said.

As the ship passed through the gate, Ryugetsu looked on, a smile on his own face. They started off as enemies, but parted as comrades. And if things are what they seem, this won't be the last encounter.

" _I still have reservations about all this Kaiju information, but I'm starting to see it. Our meeting, it wasn't just by chance."_

He heard a sound and looked back towards the bank, seeing Aisa and a few other people waving at him. Smiling, he flew down to join him only one more thought on his mind:

" _Gian, I will await the day when we stand side by side in battle once more."_

* * *

 _Elsewhere:_

"This is the third report this month, the same area, the same result."

Marine Fleet Admiral Sengoku was not having a good day. He had enough responsibilities to deal with ensuring the spread of Justice through the seas, as the Fleet Admiral he had to lead by example. And now this newest development is something even he's perplexed by.

"Perhaps it's time to consider this as something else." The marine soldier delivering the news said.

"3 ships in one month, wrecked without an explaination?" Sengoku sighed "If it were pirates, then this might be something we can deal with. But as of right now, we have no leads?"

"Well, not quite."

Sengoku was brought to attention "What new developments do we have?"

"We already know it's not a pirate attack, the wreckage showed no signs of cannon fire, or any signs of a struggle. Rather, the ships seemed to have buckled, as if they've been crushed by an external force. For the longest time we've had no idea what's the cause, but this was recovered from the wreckage. It's assumed it was taken by one of the crewmembers before the incident, but Gensui, the picture isn't what you'd expect."

Sengoku took the grainy photograph and gave it a glance, and his eyes immediately widened. The image wasn't clear, but enough could be seen to make out its contents. There, rising out of the water, was the serpentine form of a dragon-like beast, its horned head with glowing eyes and a fanged maw opened wide…

 **A/N: And Skypiea has officially ended! It's been a good journey and now it's time to return back to the sea! I hope you all enjoyed the events that happened, and I'll tell you this: this won't be the last time you'll see Ryugetsu!**

 **Now, I'm finally able to talk more about the arc that's coming up. Instead of proceeding as natural, Gian and the crew will first go on a new adventure, where ancient secret will reveal something that he did not know. This original arc is called the Sunken Kingdom Arc, and I'm hoping I can finish it in 4-5 chapters before we get back on track. My question now is this: should I upload it as natural, or should I upload it as a separate story and use this story only for canon events?**

 **But anyway, expect that to show up on the coming days! It's the first time I'm using more content unrelated to One Piece, so this will be fun for me too! Look for it soon!**

 **Responses to reviews:**

 **To Squeegywing:**

 **Gigan is indeed coming, and soon as well. I will say for other mechanical monsters, it's gonna be challenging, but Kiryu also is set to make an appearance as a rather major character, though that's not until much later. I have plans for Mechagodzilla, the first one at least, and I'm still hope I can fit Mogurea and the second Mechagodzilla in but they're harder to write into the universe.**

 **I'm actually almost completed a plan that will involve Gamera which takes place during the timeskip, so it's something Gian faces alone.**

 **Gideon is King Ghidorah alone, Monster X has his own Kaiju-zoan user later.**

 **To Vergil Leonidas:**

 **That was a good analysis, and to be honest even I didn't see it! Still trying to get the general world building worked out and how to get Kaiju to fit into the One Piece universe, as you'll see with the coming arc. But I'm glad a rough character trope is forming for Gian, at least it's something I can keep building on.**

 **To Karsap:**

 **Still hoping I can, but the original plan I had for Hedorah doesn't look as good now so I'll have to change it up.**

 **To Matt:**

 **Well, there is something called life that people have to do in addition to writing, I assume you have one too?**

 **G: OOOOOOHHHHHHH MY BOI YOU JUST GOT ROASTED.**

 **Jokes aside, there was just a lot of stuff I had to handle first in the previous months, from visiting parents to taking road trips. But after the original arc I'm going back on track. Not planning to do the filler arcs/episodes and I'm sticking to that.**

 **To Omegadramon2:**

 **Thank you, glad you like it!**

 **To Girlbook:**

 **G: And I like you!**

 **Wait, don't you like-**

 **G: In a platonic way I mean!**

 **To Coduss:**

 **Yeah, this story is a bit darker than how bright One Piece normally is. There really isn't any way to sugar coat it. Also Gian currently is based on Final Wars Godzilla, the Transformation will change after the timeskip.**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **You'll be right! Ryugetsu will return again someday!**

 **To C.S Skywalker:**

 **Hello! Thank you for taking notice of this! I'm glad you liked what you see so far! I'll admit, writing long form like this makes me tend to lose track of where my mistakes are, it's something I'm trying to continue fixing as I keep going, but I'll definitely consider the offer! Meanwhile, really like the story you've got!**

 **G: He only read one chapter.**

 **And it's already starting off great, what's your point?**

 **To Chance Green G King:**

 **I'm on the fence about skipping a lot of Long Ring Long Island since most of it's just comic relief save for that little bit with Aokiji, but currently no.**

 **To Guest:**

 **No, I'm not planning to do the filler arcs, world building Kaiju into the story is enough work as it is.**

 **To Straw Hat PiratesFan2018:**

 **Yes, you will see Kong and Mothra later**

 **Mr. 0.5 is based off of Baragon**

 **No, but Ryugetsu will still be related to Gian things later down the road. I actually did originally plan on him joining the crew, but having 2 Kaiju-Zoans in the same crew takes away from a lot of the struggles they'll face.**

 **With patience, they'll see each other's feelings.**

 **To Storm Master 567:**

 **R: I'm just happy to get paid.**

 **G: We don't get paid.**

 **No, but you're not quite done yet. Go to the waiting area and wait for me to call you back.**

 **R: Ok… when is that?**

 **Some day.**

 **To Hawkeye:**

 **If I will do Skull Island, it might come after the timeskip.**

 **To JayH120:**

 **It will add to Kaiju mythos in the story, so it'll be more important for Gian and to a lesser extent Robin, but the whole crew will be thrown into the mix!**

 **G: Personal development time!**

 **And that's all! We'll see you next time!**

 **Leave a Review for charity!**


	57. Secrets Unearthed

**oDisclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.**

 **Sunken Kingdom Arc opening: Netsujou no Spectrum (Nanatsu no Taizai Op 1)**

 _ **Nariyamanu ai wo sakebu yo subete wo daite koko ni irunda**_ _ **Hikari wa soko ni aru yo**_

 _ **(**_ _This opening begins with a scene of Gian reaching out with a hand, the same hand becoming a scaled claw and a blue flick of fire became lit in his palm before he closes it and brings it to his chest.)_

 _ **Yuzurenai omoi wo kakete kibou no hate wo boku wa ikiru yo**_ _ **Yume wo tsunaida kimi to**_

 _ **(**_ _A follow up of the previous scene, where he looks back and sees the rest of his crew, with Robin in particular stepping out, as he smiles and begins to walk towards them,)_

 _ **Hajimari wo itsuka bokura no te de umidasunda yo**_

 _ **Yasashii kimi no koe mo kitto sekai wo kaerareru**_ _ **  
**_ _(A scene of the sea being blue and clear as glass as it shows the Going Merry sailing upon it. It then cuts to a scene where everyone on board is having a good time: Luffy, Usopp and Chopper are playing a game, Sanji bringing Nami and Robin a snack with hearts in his eyes, While Zoro and Gian are sitting at a table, the former drinking sake while the latter is reading a book while they watched what's going on.)_

 _ **Dare mo hitorikiri ja tachiagare ya shinai kara**_

 _(The scene still shows the Merry sailing for a bit, before cutting to a panning shot of a massive expanse of land, which ends with a shot of a massive city. Closer inspection realizes that the city is actually underwater)_

 _ **Tagai ni te wo nobashite kagiri wo koeta ashita e**_

 _ **(**_ _A red haired pale woman is shown sitting atop a throne before her face becomes silhouetted and then showcasing the heafs of 3 young men one at a time. A green colored flame suddenly covers the screen, which reveals a hooded figure wielding a black staff with the head of a cobra engraved upon it alongside a young, robed, blond woman. The figure raised a hand that crackled with black energy. The scene following is a shot of multiple armed soldiers, which ends as a serpentine eastern dragon like creature opens its mouth and lunges at the audience.)_

 _ **Nariyamanu ai wo sakebu yo butsukariatte wakariaunda**_

 _ **Hikari wo tsukuridasu yo**_

 _(The scene then shows The Straw Hats racing across the city as people chase after them. another shot shows Zoro, Sanji and Usopp facing off against the three youths from earlier; Zoro's opponent wielding a zweihander, Sanji's opponent was barechested and a brawler, while Usopp and his opponent each shakenly pointed their weapons at each other, Usopp with his slingshot while the young man readies a bow and arrow. It the cuts to a shot of Gian and Luffy racing to the base of a pyramid with a massive Cobra-like statue, Gian reaches out as it shows the hooded figure from earlier has Robin in his grasp as blue flames surrounds Gian's body.)_

 _ **Akiramenu omoi wo kakete kibou no hate wo boku wa ikiru yo**_ _ **Yume wo tsunaida kimi to**_

 _(A panning shot shows the Gotengo underwater, zooming into the golden haired face of Vice Admiral Gideon as he stares with a stoic expression on his face. The scene ends as Gian, with and unconscious Robin in his arms facing down a shadowy snake-like monster as the blue flames appear behind him in the shape of his Full Transformation.)_

 **And let's begin.**

"Ahahahaha! We're rich!"

Merriment was abound as the Straw Hats safely descended from the clouds. With the help of a balloon like octopus, they're now back into the seas they know so well. They have lots of reason to celebrate now, after all they just hit the mother lode.

"All this gold has got to be worth billions!" Nami exclaimed, the look in her eyes obvious "There's so much we can do with it!"

"Skypiea has given us so much!" Usopp sighed in content. He himself has increased his arsenal of weapons vastly with a bit of genius and a brilliant marketing ploy of selling rubber bands, or as he stated the "Godly Weapon that brought the downfall of Enel". Through trading he's managed to make a variety of Dials that he can use later on.

"Now, yes it's true that we have all this gold but we need to remember that greed is a vice and it can ruin a person." Gian stated.

"Booo! Gian is so cheap!" Luffy pouted.

"Well somebody has to keep you all in line!" Gian retorted "We need to think carefully about what we're going to spend it on." He then turned around and there was nothing but silence.

Until everyone heard a steadily growing snicker.

"Skrehahaha… with all that gold I can buy me a gazebo… and maybe a lifetime supply of nice suits too~!"

"YOU JUST WANT TO SPEND IT YOURSELF!" Usopp smacked him in the head.

"Oh come on! Don't you all think it'll be good to have a gazebo on the ship?!" Gian snapped back.

"BUT YOU WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT SAFE SPENDING! WHERE DID YOUR DIGNITY AND PRIDE GO?"

"Hey! If everyone's happy then I think it's a good choice!"

"WE'RE NOT LETTING YOU SPEND THE GOLD!"

"All that gold does look like it can buy a lot of booze." Zoro noted.

"THAT'S EVEN WORSE!" Usopp screamed.

* * *

"On a more serious note, there are somethings we can use this gold for. First and foremost we should go find a place that can fix Merry up good." Sanji stated.

The crew fell silent at that; it's true, during her time serving as the ship for the Straw Hats the Merry has sustained a hefty amount of damage to her parts. With the figure head snapped off, the sail getting ripped in half, and holes blown in by cannon fire to list of few, she's seen better days.

"Yeah, Merry has taken quite a bit of abuse hasn't she?" Gian nodded with a hint of sadness.

"We've had her with us for so long, there's only so much we can do…" Usopp mumbled.

Sanji nodded "I'm glad we're all on the same page for this. I also noted this a while, but maybe it's time for someone else to join us."

Luffy broke into a smile.

"Yeah! Our next crewmate should be a shipwright! They can fix Merry up!"

"Exactly, a shipwright-"

"And then afterwards we'll get a musician!"

"-Like I said… a shipwright is a necessary part of any crew." Sanji sweatdropped at Luffy's predictable antics "If we do get one, it can help us out a lot."

"And if we can't, any repairs would at the very least give us some more time." Gian smiled "I think we should find one as soon as we can."

"And perhaps we can soon!" Nami stated "The Log Pose is pointing directly at a place called Jinguji Island, maybe we'll find one there."

"All right! Let's go find Merry a doctor!" Luffy shouted and the crew proceeded as planned.

 _ **Later:**_

Jinguji Island turned out to be a rather heavily forested island, but the Straw Hats were able to find a small town situated between the trees leading to the sea. It wasn't exactly the busiest place they've been to, but for a port town it has what it's expected to have.

"Let's see if we can find a shipwright around here?" Nami proposed "Meanwhile we'll also need some supplies so the rest of you get busy!"

Everyone else went to go find whatever else they need for the journey ahead. Luffy and Sanji went to go get food, Chopper went to get medical supplies, while Zoro and Usopp went to help Nami with the ship.

"Well, what else do we need to get?" Gian turned to Robin.

"Perhaps we can just look around, this way we can bring enough things back to the others." Robin responded.

Looking around, the city did not contain much. Everything that was worth going to they've already seen at similar port towns and with the rest of the crew already off getting supplies the duo quickly found themselves out of place.

"Ok, I'm bored already. Are the others back yet?" Gian groaned.

"It's only been a couple of minutes, they shouldn't be ready just yet." Robin shrugged "There are a few taverns around here, perhaps they will interest you?"

Gian shook his head "I don't drink, and really not in the mood for any bar food right now. Maybe you'd have a better time."

"I don't think so, those kind of establishments aren't exactly my type of hang out. If that's out of the option then perhaps we can help find a shipwright as well?"

"Well, I guess a few extra pairs of eyes can't hurt anyone, we'll just-"

The two were interrupted suddenly by commotion from the nearby square. Looking at each other they quickly departed towards the source, where they found a large crowd beginning to gather.

"-Years have passed and we've remained on the surface, but not for long! The time for the return has come again! The Old Kingdom will rise from the sea once more!"

At the center of it all was a ragged old man in dark green overalls, his beard trailing on the cobblestone floor. His eyes had a crazed look to them and he didn't seem to care about what he was saying, nor did he pay any attention to the confused onlookers.

"Their time is returning! The Old Kingdom will reclaim what they have given!"

"Well, this is entertainment I guess?" Gian gave a shaky smile.

"Old Kingdom…" Robin was deep in thought "What is he talking about?"

One of the witnesses sighed "Looks like the crazy lunatic is at it again."

"Excuse me, but you know what he's saying?" Gian asked. The onlooker, a middle aged man, looked back at the two visitors.

"Oh, you two are probably passing by. Well, here on Jinguji Island we have him, the old loon, who's been here for god knows how long. They call him Moki, and every so often he'd come to town and rave about what you're hearing right now."

"He said something about and Old Kingdom, what does he mean by that?"

"It's an old legend from around here." The two turned to see a young woman in a grey suit "What you're hearing from Old man Moki is the claims of a Kingdom lost to the world millennia ago. He claims that it's coming back."

* * *

Gian and Robin looked at one another "Robin, you're the one that knows about history, do you know any Old Kingdom that's been lost in this area?" Gian asked.

"Not in any evidence I've found, then again I haven't looked everywhere."

"Don't you two spare too much thought about it, we know as little as you do, so much so that we think Moki-san is just making it up." The same young lady responded "He took one look at those decaying stone remains and he thinks he knows something."

That got the two's attention "Remains? There's remnants of an old civilization here?"

The young woman didn't respond in time for the old man let out another tirade.

"The ruins speak of them! The first people! Everything we own, everything we've created, all have started with them! Mu has given to us, and Mu shall return to us! The time-"

Eventually he just returned to shouting the same old routine over and over again. The people of the town clearly have heard this many times and many of them were not keen on listening to the whole thing. Moki eventually just wandered off on his own, still shouting the same messages.

"Well, I've seen some interesting people before but that's still a first…" Gian blinked.

"Mu… what does he mean by that?"

Gian looked back at the archeologist "I remember him saying that Mu supposedly gave the people of this place something, but he never specified what. Do you honestly think that's what the Old Kingdom is called?"

"It's a stretch, but I think there's more meaning to it than that. From the way the old man speaks of it, this lost kingdom is more than your ordinary kingdom."

"You're not saying there's a grain of truth to what he's saying are you?" Gian asked.

"When it comes to history, even the smallest of information is to be taken as a grain of truth" Robin responded "There's always something deeper in what people have described."

"Um, if I may add, why the sudden interest in something that could possibly be fabricated?" the two turned to see the same woman from before, looking at them with a curious look.

Robin stared impassively at her "History is something that can tell us a lot should we look for it. Something like this, insignificant as it may seem to people, may hold the answer to a much larger piece of a puzzle we know nothing about. There are things I wish to discover for that other people don't appreciate me looking into, and though sometimes I wonder about the consequences of what I do I look on regardless."

"I'm just along for the ride, she's the expert here." Gian shrugged.

The woman nodded "I see, well I'm not exactly the right person to ask here considering I know as little as you do, perhaps less, but if you do wish to find out more about the supposed kingdom, you should perhaps visit the very ruins Moki-san was talking about."

"So there are ruins here!" Gian whispered.

The woman pointed to the forested hill just behind the town "No one knows how they got there and the years haven't been kind to them, but just within the forest are the remains of an old temple. Not much is left though, but people in the town have found a few inscriptions written in a language none of us know."

Gian glanced at Robin "Would you like to have a look?"

Robin closed her eyes "It would be a waste not to go, even if the reward isn't very high." She smiled and looked at the woman "Thank you miss- oh, we never asked for your name."

The woman smiled "You can refer to me as Sara. I wish you two well on your findings!" With that, she walked off.

"So, guess that answers the question on how we're spending our time here." Gian shrugged.

"This is actually quite interesting, a supposed kingdom lost to history, even for me this is rare."

"Then go exploring we shall!" Gian smiled "Just tell the others that it's your idea if they ask why we're late." Truth be told, he was rather curious as well.

"Fufufu, I don't think it will take that long, Sara-san did say there isn't much to see after all."

As the two walked off, they failed to notice Sara glance back at them, a smile playing on her lips…

* * *

 _Later:_

"Well… this is actually kind of disappointing."

Finding the ruins wasn't very hard, it was only shortly after they entered the forest were they able find signs of old artifacts. However, arriving at the scene they soon saw how desecrated the ruins were. Heavy amount of jungle vegetation covered most of the area, leaving little room to maneuver. The main building of the ruins, a rather large construct that the duo deduced was the temple that was spoken of earlier, was in rather poor conditions with years of weathering and erosion affecting the stone. In fact, it is partially caved in, with only the entrance and a bit of the inside accessible.

What was accessible was quite extraordinary however, as the temple's gate was an overarching wonder. On either side of the old building are two massive pillars, and even more spectacular are the two spiraling decorations adorning the monoliths. Twin serpent like creatures were engraved around each pillar, their bodies shining with a faint green luster. Upon closer inspection, it would appear that they are in fact two serpentine dragons, coiled around the pillars and facing each other with a tooth laden maw.

"I think this is all we have…" Gian looked around.

Robin is deep in though. It's clear that the pillars are both very aged; the stone material is the same as the one used for the temple. What's intriguing are the two dragon statues, while they've inevitably lost some of their luster, the material is different from the pillars, and still retained some of their light.

"These statues, they aren't made up of stone, but of some other material. Yet this material isn't something I've seen anywhere else in the world."

"Whatever it is, it's probably made at a more recent time considering the statues don't look to have much weathering on it." Gian noted.

"Or that the materials used to create them are much more durable." Robin stated "From what I can see it isn't any form of rock at all, it seemed to be some form of a mix between jade and some kind of metal…"

"Metal huh, Goro-san has some experience in geology but he's mostly a mechanical genius, not a geological one." Gian frowned "besides this doesn't looks like anything I've seen from any of his books."

"I'm going to take a look inside, maybe we'll get some answers." Robin said.

"You sure? Doesn't look like there's much you can see with all the debris in the way."

The two went in anyway, and it soon became apparent that searching will be difficult. Much of the temple has collapsed onto itself, leaving only a bit of the area closest to the entrance accessible. The one strip of wall that was accessible however had rows upon rows of what appears to be writing carved within the stone. Gian lit a fireball in his palm as Robin attempted to decipher the written words.

"This is strange, these writings are unlike anything I've seen from other cultures yet they share similarities with some of the one's I've seen before." Robin frowned, this new development is a struggle to decipher even for her.

"What can you make out? If there's some similarities, then there should be some that you can recognize?" Gian suggested.

Robin shook her head "There are, but due to so many discrepancies there that I can only make out a few words and those ones are not enough to make out enough detail about anything."

"Well maybe we should keep looking, I know we don't have much space but if we go a bit- hey, what's this?"

Near the end of the temple, just out of reach from the fallen debris, lay a small, faint green stele. Robin's eyes widened as she saw what it was.

"A poneglyph? Here?"

"It's a lot smaller than ones you've found before, don't you think?" Gian realized.

"Perhaps it was only to engrave a small amount of information." Robin nodded before setting down to translate.

"This temple is to signify our enduring friendships with the colony of the Greater Mu Empire. Glory to Her Majesty the Empress and Lord Manda's unending coils to forever bring both our clans towards a brighter tomorrow." She stood up, clearly surprised by her findings "That's all it says, but just by this there seem to be a lot more information for us."

* * *

"All that from just a block?" Gian is amazed "This is amazing! Mu actually exists, or at least existed once!"

"And some of their civilization is revealed to us. The kingdom is ruled by an empress alongside a figure known as Lord Manda… this is an extraordinary find indeed!"

And a smile broke over her face, one that Gian couldn't help but smile alongside her.

"Still, there's so many questions that remain…" Robin noted "We still don't know what this temple is used for aside from it being used as a token of friendship."

"Whoever made the block probably, they would seem to have a rather close relationship." Gian said.

"And even more intriguing, this poneglyph is different. While the other ones I've found are made from the same stone for all of them, this one seemed to be made from the same materials used to create the dragon statues we saw out front!"

"Why the sudden difference here?" Gian asked.

"I have a theory, this particular poneglyph was not made by their usual creator at all. It was given as a gift by none other than the Mu Empire." Robin suggested "The creator then used it to carve out the message." She became deep in thought again.

"Though now this begs more questions, why did the creator have such a relationship with Mu? What is this island's importance to all this?"

She hummed to herself, newfound revelations brings out quite a bit of fatigue "And nothing here seemed to mention anything about Mu's return from obscurity, unlike what the crazy old man suggested, unless they're hidden within the scripture that I can't translate."

"Just what is this kingdom? From what I've gathered, it seems like it was quite big at the time." Gian noted.

"And how did it disappear with next to no trance up until now?" Robin frowned "If the Kingdom is as big as it is, there should be at least something, but until today I've never encounter even a single passage talking about Mu. Just what is-?"

"Giannnn~! Robinnn~! Where did you guys wander off to?"

* * *

The two were broken out of their thoughts by the shouting of their names. Soon the underbrush rustled to reveal Nami stepping out. She frowned when she saw the two of them.

"Oh there you two are! Do you know how long we've waited?" she scolded, hands on her hips "Everyone's ready to go! Yet here you two are on a date at a- what is this place?"

"Oh crap, we've forgotten about the others- HOLD ON WHAT DO YOU MEAN DATE?!" Gian's eyes widened.

Before anything else could be said Robin stood up and dusted herself off "My apologies navigator-san, I had grown weary of waiting so I decided to go for a walk and I asked Gian to accompany me. I hope we didn't cause too much trouble."

"Just come along, we need to go. There's no shipwright on this island but someone managed to fix up Merry for at least a while longer, now we have to leave the Log Pose already locked onto the next island."

"Yeah, we'll be there immediately." Gian nodded.

The three then departed back for the port. As the ruins grew further away, Robin looked back at them with a small frown on her face. What little she knows about this newly unearthed lost kingdom only furthered her curiosity. But the question remains why there are so little information to begin with? Granted the field of archeology is constantly discovering new evidence of ancient civilizations, but this is the first time she's even heard of the Kingdom of Mu when before there was nary a shred of evidence that points to the matter.

Maybe somewhere down the line, she'll have a better opportunity to find out more.

As the three of them went back towards the Going Merry, they didn't notice the bushes behind them rustle. A moment later Sara stepped out, looked on and gave a smile. She then reached for her left ear, revealing a coiled dragon shaped earpiece.

"I can confirm, High Priest Axor, that the woman does indeed know how to read the ancient language of the Kozuki Family. This is interesting development indeed."

 _Later:_

"Next time you two disappear like that, is it too much trouble to at least tell us where you went?" Zoro grumbled as the Merry returned to the sea to their next destination "We spent a while looking for you!"

"You all left before we could say anything…" Gian grumbled. He and most of the crew were present on deck, with Sanji in the kitchen while Robin had gone into her room saying she had some thinking to do "Besides, we hadn't realized there was something in the forest."

"What was it that you guys found anyway? When I found you both you seemed like you were in the middle of a conversation." Nami asked.

Gian sighed "Even I don't know, but apparently it's the remains of a temple left by an ancient civilization that once lived here on the island. We didn't find much else though so there's still a lot we don't know."

"So a few old buildings took up that much time? I can understand her but I never knew you'd be interested in this." Zoro said.

"Hey, it's good to learn a few things." Gian shrugged "Besides, she said she needed the company."

"You and her have been spending an awful lot of time together recently, did something happen?" Zoro asked.

"…What are you suggesting?"

* * *

"Whenever we split up you're always paired up with her, I honestly couldn't care less but considering you were rather suspicious of her when she first joined us it's strange to see you warm up to her that quick."

"It's been a couple of days, opinions change." Gian rebuked "And considering you all pick other people before me when we're off doing stuff I naturally only have her left."

"One time I asked you to guard the ship with me but you said Robin needed company!" Usopp reminded him with a big smile.

"UH-well, I mean it was already pre-determined that I would-"

"Hmmm, I think our Gian has a crush on our newest member!" Nami smirked.

"Nami that is a very pointed accusation!" Gian snapped.

"That's actually so great! I never knew you had it in ya!" Usopp laughed.

"What is that supposed to mean?!"

"Don't screw it up." Zoro snorted.

"You too?" Gian balked "Guys you're making way too many assumptions here!"

"Actually," Chopper stepped up "I've observed you too together, and you displayed multiple signs of a person when they're attracted to someone!" he grinned "Every time you and Robin are together you try to puff yourself up and your tone of voice is more soothing!"

"That proves nothing, I don't do that." Gian huffed.

"She's displaying some of those signs back though." Chopper's next comment made him pause "She's very discreet, but some signs are slipping through that she's interested!"

"Chopper… what happened to you?!"

"Hey, I'm a doctor! I know how to read emotional signs from people and you two are getting there!"

"Wait does that mean Gian and Robin are getting married?" Luffy chimed in before Gian bonked him on the head.

"You stay out of this, idiot captain!"

Gian huffed before stepping away towards the figurehead of the ship "Whatever, you guys are lame! I'm not having this conversation any longer!"

"Oh come on! Don't be such a spoilsport!" Nami giggled.

"Yeah! We're just teasing you!" Usopp tried to coax "…Unless it's true!"

"Usopp for the last time I don't-WOAH" he was interrupted when the ship shook violently, knocking him to his butt.

"What the-? Is there a storm coming?" Zoro barked.

"No! The weather is clear! And there's no waves either!" Nami shouted back.

"A-Are we under attack?" Usopp whimpered.

"I don't see anyone…?" Gian reached for Atom splitter.

It was then that the Merry shook again, this time almost capsizing as everyone screamed and fell to the deck.

"Grab onto something!" Luffy shouted. It was then that Sanji and Robin rushed onto the deck.

"What's happening? Why is the ship shaking like that?!" the chef barked.

"We're trying to figure that out ourselves, swirly cook!" Zoro snapped.

Chopper's nose suddenly twitched, and his eyes widened "T-there's something coming out of the water!"

* * *

The crew looked up in shock to see a massive, blue-green scaled tail lift out of the water, followed later by a loud bellow.

"AAAHHH WE'RE UNDER ATTACK BY A SEA MONSTER!" Usopp screamed.

"Did we drift into Sea King territory?" Sanji asked.

"No… there's something different about this beast, it's giving off a feeling unlike those of Sea Kings!" Gian shouted.

"IT'S COMING OUT!" Chopper pointed, and the crew stared in fear and awe as a scaled head rose out of the water. Everyone screamed as the dragon-like creature opened its razor sharp jaws and let out a deep roar.

But to Gian and Robin, their eyes widened even further.

"You're seeing this now, are you?" Gian whispered.

"I don't believe it… it's the same dragon engraved at the ruins..!"

The dragon's head was similar to that of your standard serpentine eastern dragon, its long whiskers flicked in the air as its yellow eyes glared at the ship. Its two front arms, tipped with 5 claws were small besides its long serpentine body. It bellowed once again, before diving headfirst into the water, but not before wrapping some of its body over the Merry. The crews eyes widened in horror as they realized its intent.

"It's trying to crush the ship!" Nami shouted.

"That's not going to happen!" Shouted Luffy as he reared an arm back " **Gomu Gomu no… Pistol!"**

His fist smashed into the scaled hide of the dragon, sending a loud impact sound but otherwise the coils remained intact.

"Get off!" Zoro snarled as he drew all three swords " **Santoryu: Tora Gari!"** but his blades didn't even leave a mark on the skin of the beast. The crew could hear the wood of the Merry beginning to splinter as the dragon applied some pressure: it was tormenting them by crushing them as slowly as possible!"

" **We need to attack somewhere else! Aim for its head once it comes up!** A burst of blue flames revealed Gian's Partial Transformation as he leapt up before deliving a drop kick towards the dragon's body " **Atom Death Drop!"**

A low groan sounded as the angered beast reared his head out of the water, and that's when the Monster Trio attacked.

" **Gomu Gomu no…"**

" **Tatsu…"**

" **Epaule…"**

"… **Muchi Maki Shoot!"**

The three combination attacks all smashed into the horned head at once, a punch from Luffy, a whirlwind from Zoro and a harsh kick from Sanji caused the beast to roar in pain as it unwrapped itself from the ship and fell back into the ocean with a massive splash.

* * *

The relief was short lasted as the dragon reared out of the water again and howled at the crew, killer intent in its eyes.

"No way… how much can that thing take?!" Sanji panted.

" **I'll give it something to chew on!"** Gian snarled and leapt at the creature head on as he pulled out his glaive, the bladed head began glowing as he did so " **Atom… Flame Wave!"**

The large ball of fire smashed into the dragon's head, causing it to roar again. As the creature turned to snap at the smaller Partial Transformation, Gian whirled around and collided his tail with the beast's head, causing it to hit the water as he landed back on deck.

" **Keep your eyes open, it'll come back soon!"**

Indeed as the sea began to bubble to signal the return of the dragon, the crew braced themselves for another attack.

But when the dragon's head reared back out of the water, for just a brief moment, its eyes locked with Gian's.

And that's when he heard it: a deep voice, coming from seemingly from nowhere.

" _ **G-Gojiraaa…?"**_

" **WHO SAID THAT?!"** Gian barked looking around wildly.

"Said what? We didn't say anything?" Zoro shouted back "Pay attention, it'll attack again!"

But the dragon only narrowed its eyes, before slinking back beneath the waves. To the flabbergasted crew, the last thing they saw was its tapered tail sending forth a spray of water as it dove to the depths.

"W-what the hell?" Gian panted, reverting back as his shock ended.

"Oh my god… that was so horrifying…" Chopper panted.

"I-I thought we were going to die…!" Usopp wept.

"Did honestly no one hear that?" Gian looked around.

"What? Was there something you heard and we didn't?" Nami asked with a tint of concern.

Gian's eyes darted around, before meeting Robin's. She seemed like she wanted to say something, her eyes also showing a tint of curiosity and, is that worry he sees?

"…Never mind, it could just be a heat of the moment thing…"

"We should probably get out of here." Luffy stated, and the crew unfurled the sails.

Only for the ship to stop moving completely.

"Umm, why have we stopped?" Sanji asked.

"There's wind… but we're dead in the water!" Nami cried.

The sea around them suddenly began to bubble, sending everyone into a panic again.

"Oh no! Is the dragon back?!" Usopp screamed.

"Wait, there's multiple areas frothing in the water!" Zoro shouted.

"And something's coming out!" Chopper shouted as well.

What revealed itself was a shock to everybody in the crew. Not one, not two, but 5 silver colored objects rose out of the water, their sleek shape causing water to flow down from the sides. Their figure showed little else, save for a few small windows.

"Are… are they ships?" Nami whispered.

The crew then saw that one of the objects was projecting a white colored ray of light that surrounded the Merry, and to their surprise, found that the beam was lit from an elongated extension, and that it was in the shape of a dragon's head; the same dragon that attack them earlier.

"What is happening?!" Luffy cried.

And then they all heard it, a loud voice broadcasting from one of the objects, and a declaration that caused two members of the Straw Hat Crew to hitch their breath.

"STOP! IN THE NAME OF THE GREAT MU EMPIRE, CEASE YOUR ACTIVITY AT ONCE!"

 **A/N:**

 **And thus, the events of our original Sunken Kingdom Arc is fully underway! Classic Kaiju Fans all know what's going on here, but for those of you who are fresh into the series, let me give you a bit of backstory! Back in the 1960s in addition to Godzilla movies, Toho also made a handful of movies that also developed a cult following. One of them was Atragon, a movie about the very kingdom listed here (and quite the political motif as well). This following arc takes some inspiration from that movie, as well as a few other sources of inspiration that we'll get to in time.**

 **Meanwhile, I hope you'll enjoy this original arc that will give us a bit more exposition, I'm planning to get this done in 4-5 chapters, after which we'll get back to the regular stuff. In the meantime, try to figure out some of the stuff I've got put in the opening! We'll see you sometime after I get back from watching Infinity War tonight!**

 **Also thank you for the continued love for this story! Last chapter hit a whooping 20 reviews, the most I've gotten for this story so far! Truly, thank you all for taking interest in this and I hope I can keep this up!**

 **Responses to Reviews:**

 **To TsundereCharuru18:**

 **G: Eyyyy! Squad!**

 **Take him, I'll even giftwrap him up in a present.**

 **To Karsap:**

 **For CP9, I'm planning something that fits the assassin theme for the group, so you can probably guess who that is. As for the MUTOs, I currently don't have any plan yet but if they were to appear I'm thinking Strong World would be a good time to bring them in.**

 **To The Storm Master 567:**

 **You'll probably figure it out if you read the opening for this arc!**

 **To Chance Green G King:**

 **I definitely need to watch it, it's a pretty old film so finding it is gonna be hard, especially here in Canada since we don't even have HMV anymore. But the arc isn't going to be exactly like the movie, as you'll figure some of it out with the opening!**

 **To ZILLAFAN:**

 **G: If I could swim I'd do it.**

 **You haven't been to Mariejois yet.**

 **G: I read ahead, from what I've seen those guys have it coming to them.**

 **Oh, well you're aren't wrong about that.**

 **To Matt:**

 **Gideon and Gian will have their first formal introduction to each other later this arc. If you want to know more about him, he made his first appearance back in Chapter 24, and once again at Chapter 44.**

 **To Toad-sage66:**

 **He's about the same size as Oars right about now. After the timeskip the size'll increase more.**

 **To Kristopher B:**

 **Actually Radon is what the Romanji spelling of Rodan is in Japan, In this case it's also what the more ancient people call him, and you can expect Rodan to be known as a different name by different cultures in this story.**

 **G: Boom, educated.**

 **To Guest:**

 **I'm trying to do only the parts that will help with the story, if I can't usually add Kaiju elements it usually tends to be left aside. The only exception to this are new crewmates joining since they're rather important.**

 **To pokemonking0924:**

 **You can probably guess the Kaiju if you've watched Atragon, or at least some of the Godzilla movies.**

 **R: I'll be back for a bit by like, the end of the pre-timeskip or something!**

 **G: Says here we don't even meet, you're supposed to-**

 **STOP READING AHEAD!**

 **To 64thVanSull:**

 **G: Drake?**

 **Yeah?**

 **G: Where's the door hole?**

 **Its goes right there you see- no, you know what? We don't have time for this.**

 **G: aww.**

 **To SolanaLeonhart:**

 **That'll happen by the end of the arc!**

 **To mekyaku:**

 **The main antagonist this arc isn't a kaiju-zoan user, but he will have a devil fruit! This arc is actually going to leave One Piece physics for a little bit, as you'll see later. Glad you're enjoying it, and Destoroyah will actually be pretty major when he does eventually show up.**

 **To Slimjim77:**

 **Thank you, welcome to the ride!**

 **To Scarlet Rose White:**

 **There's going to be one more original arc before the timeskip, that's the plan.**

 **To C.S Skywalker:**

 **Yeah, originally I was planning to put Nami as the pairing, but that's been done quite a bit. It went as no pairing for a bit before I settled on Robin. You're right, Robin's a very complex character and hard to write for, but that's where the challenge becomes fun because as I build Gian up, I can find more ways for them to relate with one another.**

 **I'm probably just going to skim Long Ring Long Island and only focus on the important parts once I'm done with this arc.**

 **To Guest (both of y'all I guess):**

 **No… but Mothra does have something to do with Roger! And to an extent Enel is going to give some assistance with Spacegodzilla when he does eventually show up, though not in the way you described.**

 **To JayH120:**

 **Ryugetsu will come back officially later on in the story!**

 **R: I'm so glad I have great fans.**

 **G: I do not dance.**

 **You do, I saw you do it many times.**

 **G: Lies. You were high and you were hallucinating.**

 **No, I don't- it's going to happen eventually, you and her.**

 **G: well until then I'm not dancing.**

 **To Fencer22:**

 **Yeah, some of the earlier chapters do have an unnecessary amount of those, I honestly feel I should go back and edit some things so they'll be more natural.**

 **To ZILLAFAN again:**

 **I'm not sure how that can fit but maybe?**

 **To Master of red windex:**

 **Pacific Rim Kaiju currently don't have a role yet, but I'm seeing how they can be put in at least somehow.**

 **To Guest:**

 **Thanks.**

 **G: well that was anti climatic.**

 **R: at least he likes it.**

 **And that's all this time! We'll see you soon!**

 **Leave a review or else Gian spoils Infinity War.**

 **G: Thanos don't demand my silence bitches!**


End file.
